A New Beginning
by Aria6
Summary: Roxas and Sora have both decided they would rather be straight and have dumped their boyfriends. What do Axel and Riku get up to? Well, first of all they get to know each other... Axel/Riku, going to be action in later chapters. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_The Clock Tower._ Riku took a slow pull on his cigarette, vaguely thinking, not for the first time, that he should quit. He was a jock, a member of the football team. He wasn't worried about the ultimate effects, everyone had to die of something, but he liked football. He liked doing his best. Glancing out over the city, he reflected that the Clock Tower had the most amazing view in the town. He'd never really come here much before. He and Sora had favored something completely different, a cave they'd found down by the river. Thoughts of the brunette in his mind, Riku was oblivious to the movement behind him.

"Riku? What are you doing here?" Axel. Riku turned his head to look at the redhead, silent for a moment.

Axel wasn't exactly his friend. More like… an acquaintance. They didn't do the same things or run in the same circles. Riku was a jock and Axel was a 'bad' kid, hanging out with the other weird ones like Larxene and Demyx. But they'd been connected through the twins they loved, so Riku was more familiar with him than he might have otherwise been. Riku smiled faintly, reflecting that he was probably the only person in the school who didn't like or dislike Axel. Most people decided how they felt about the redhead instantly but Riku just hadn't felt anything at all.

"Just enjoying the view." Riku looked back over the town and blew a smoke ring, watching it slowly break apart under the breeze. "Roxas broke up with you." There was no question there, just certainty, and Riku could almost feel Axel's glare.

"Look, just because you still have your fluffy – " The redhead began hotly, but Riku shook his head.

"Sora broke up with me." He said, silencing Axel. Then he turned to look at the redhead for a moment, a small smile on his face. "They are supporting each other through this difficult time." Riku said with just the faintest shade of irony and Axel growled something foul. Then he took a deep breath and walked up, taking a seat beside the silver hair.

"Sorry." Riku shrugged, not caring. He felt like he was a giant puddle of not caring at the moment.

"I suppose, if you're bisexual and have a choice in the matter, it's much easier not to be gay." Riku mused, ignoring the harsh look Axel was giving him. "Especially if you already have a girl in mind. Of course, it's a bit hard on the people left behind."

"Just shut up, would you?" Axel looked out over the city and Riku glanced at his profile. Axel looked handsome like this, illuminated by the dying sun, his red hair catching the light and almost creating a nimbus around him. Riku said nothing but tapped Axel's shoulder then offered him a cigarette. Axel stared at it a moment then took it, letting Riku light it for him. "I quit smoking for Roxas, you know."

"I know." Sora had asked him to quit too, but Riku had found it very hard going. He'd been the nutty kid who tried a cigarette in the playground and found he really, really liked them. "It's not like it matters now."

"I guess it doesn't." They sat together companionably for a time, smoking their cigarettes and looking at the city as the sun slowly died. "So, uh, shit. I don't even know you. What kind of books do you like?" Axel finally asked and Riku smiled faintly.

"Harlequin romance." He replied calmly and had the pleasure of seeing Axel almost swallow his cigarette. "I lie. Actually, I like science fiction, especially the heavy military ones. You?"

"I like fantasy. Swords and spells and all that shit." Axel puffed on his cigarette a moment, thinking. "I've tried some of that stuff you're talking about but the military stuff is a bit too intense for me." Riku nodded.

"Sora felt that way." It had been one of their differences. "What do you do for fun?"

It didn't take them long to establish that their interests and hobbies were completely different. Riku liked football, nature walks and reading. He hated TV and movies. Axel loved several TV shows and watched them religiously, went to concerts and clubs and disliked nature. He also liked online games, which was something Riku had never tried at all. About the only thing they had in common was reading somewhat similar books. There was a bit of overlap in their taste.

"And this is why we were never friends." Axel said, finding it almost funny. Riku smiled.

"Opposites attract sometimes." He said and Axel snorted.

"I'm not attracted to you." And he wasn't. Riku was good looking, for certain, but not really his type. Well, usually. Right now Axel thought he looked good, with the setting sun frizzing his silver hair and smoking a cigarette.

"And I'm not attracted to you. I'm just saying." Riku said, knowing he was lying a little. Axel wasn't anything like Sora, not in the slightest bit, and right now that was appealing. But he wasn't going to admit it right after Axel's comment. "That's often how it goes."

"Not with me and Roxas." Axel countered and Riku shrugged, not voicing the first thing that came to mind… that that hadn't worked out, so it hardly counted.

"Not with me and Sora either. But here we are." That was the closest he could come and Axel still gave him a dirty look before looking out over the city again.

"He wants to date Olette." Axel finally said and Riku nodded, unsurprised. "How the fuck is that going to work? I mean, we played bondage games. Don't tell me she'd do that."

"You never know." Riku briefly tried to picture Olette being into bondage. No, it didn't seem to fit. "Maybe not. But whatever, it's not our business anymore."

"The hell it's not." Axel shot Riku an almost puzzled look. The silver haired boy seemed so calm, almost zen-like. "Doesn't this bother you?" Riku paused, thinking a moment, then shrugged.

"If you really want to know, I cried my heart out this morning and finally took enough of dad's prozac to feel no pain. I'm in the land of do not care at the moment." Riku stretched for a moment and Axel couldn't help but think how angelic he looked, with his silver hair and aqua eyes. "It feels good. It won't last, but it'll help. I did the same thing when my favorite uncle died. I have a few pills left if you want them."

"No thanks." Axel was more pissed than anything at the moment. His reaction to hurt was usually anger, and he didn't want to control it. "You want to know what I did? I mean, after we had our screaming break-up fight." Riku blinked at that. He and Sora hadn't fought, it had just been a tearful message on his answering machine. "I banged a couple holes in the wall, keyed that damn motorcycle of his and egged his house."

"…Are you going to be arrested as soon as we get off this tower?" Riku asked, morbidly curious. Axel shrugged.

"Maybe. I don't give a shit." He really didn't. Roxas would probably vandalize his car right back, but Axel didn't care about that either. It was a wreck anyway. "He can die in a fire for all I care." Riku vaguely considered their personality differences. It was all the exact same situation, really, but Roxas and Axel had gone for the crazy couples breakup method while he and Sora were more like something out of a sad romance. But it all led to the same place.

"It's getting cold up here. Want to go get a coffee? If the police aren't laying in wait for you at the bottom of the tower." Riku glanced over the edge suspiciously but there was nothing. Not that they would expect to find Axel at the Clock Tower. Axel thought about it a moment then shrugged.

"Sure, why not." He'd never palled around with Riku before, but why not? The jock was proving to be pretty good company and they certainly had more in common than they ever had before. Riku nodded and stood, crushing out his cigarette before he started down the stairs. Soon they were comfortably ensconced in a local Starbucks, and Axel frowned as he picked up a little brochure entitled Make It Your Own.

"What in fuck?" With a snort of disgust, he tossed it onto the table and Riku picked it up curiously. "Just order off the fucking menu, that's what it's for." Riku blinked as he realized the little pamphlet had definitions for every Starbucks term and was designed to cheerfully help customers customize their order.

"I would have to agree. Why would they encourage that behavior?" It was a mystery to him. Really, what was wrong with the menu. Axel snorted again.

"Trying to make it a 'special' experience for the customers. It's just fucking coffee, but they're afraid people will catch onto that and start making the stuff at home. Did I tell you I worked as a barista for a while?" Axel sipped his pumpkin latte as Riku tilted his head, interested.

"No, I thought you worked as a stocker at K-Mart." Axel only did that on weekends but he worked very late and often came to school tired on Mondays.

"I do, but I tried a local coffee shop first, before I figured that actually dealing with the fucking customers just isn't my thing." Riku noticed a young mother glaring at Axel for his language, but decided he didn't care anymore than the redhead did. "A bitch threw her coffee on me, gave me some shitastic burns." Axel extended his arm, pulling back his shirt a bit and Riku could see the scars. They were faint but there.

"Did she go to jail?" Throwing hot coffee on someone was assault. Axel shook his head.

"When they called the cops the bitch ran off, and no one knew who she was. I had to go to the hospital and then the manager fired me for not managing the situation properly." Axel spat in the ashtray and Riku winced, as much at the story as his action.

"You're disgusting." He said reprovingly as Axel grinned. "And that's horrible, even if you probably did provoke her." Axel could be mouthy as hell. "You know, Axel, you need to be more careful. People can really be batshit crazy sometimes."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm a stocker at the big K. The only thing I have to worry about is the troll dolls. I swear those fuckers are out to get me. If you ever find me sliced into little pieces or castrated or something, it was the fucking trolls I tell you." Axel shook his head as Riku grinned and sipped his coffee. It was full of cream and sugar and tasted great.

"You're crazy. Did you know I work at a strip club?" Riku was quite pleased with the way Axel goggled at him.

"No fucking way! You're a total preppy!" Riku rolled his eyes at that. "Bullshit!"

"No bullshit. I'm a bartender at Tits R Us down on Benson street." That was the red light district in Twilight Town. "The hours are great for a student, I just turned legal last year for alcohol and I desperately need the money." Riku smiled faintly. "Plus, not many people order anything fancier than booze on the rocks. Although I've worked on my bartending just in case." It wouldn't be fun if someone came up with an unusual order and he wasn't ready for it. Axel stared, amazed.

"Holy shit Riku, and I thought you were a total square. So you get to watch tits all night?" Riku snorted and shook his head.

"No, I get to pour drinks for inebriated men all night. Once I got groped by a guy who was so blind drunk he thought I was a girl." Axel burst out laughing at the image. Riku proceeded to make it worse. "And he called ME a fag when he figured it out. Like I was the one doing the groping!"

"Well, he was right." Axel pointed out, then laughed again. "What did the bouncers do to him?"

"Tossed him in the dumpster." Riku said with relish. Molesting the bartenders and wait staff was just as bad as trying to grab the dancers, and maybe a little worse. "Then, he called the police and tried to get the bouncers arrested. They told the police exactly what happened and they told the guy to get lost. He didn't take that well and tried to assault the cops, so they beat him up and took him away. I've never seen him again." Riku was sure he was still around, haunting other titty bars, but he hadn't come back to Tits R Us. Which was just dandy. Axel grinned.

"The cops can be scary around here. Did I tell you about that time I got arrested?" He actually had, it was a good story. Riku smiled, just letting the old story roll over him. They talked for what felt like hours, and with a start of surprise, Riku realized that it had really been hours. They'd both skipped classes today so it didn't really matter, but it was still something of a surprise. "Hey, d'you have work today?"

"No, I mostly work weekends like you." Riku smiled, a bit amused by Axel's sudden concern. The redhead relaxed, grinning. "That's when the crowds come out."

"Good. So, hey. Would you be interested in coming to my place tonight?" Axel asked, a bit too casually, and Riku looked at him with limpid aquamarine eyes.

"To play video games?" He asked with artful innocence as Axel blushed slightly. "Or maybe a game of King's Cribbage? Or were you more thinking about the horizontal mambo?"

"Jesus Riku! You're fucking dirty, or is it just all that prozac in you?" Axel twitched slightly and Riku dug out a cigarette. "Thanks. I just, uh, think it might be a good idea. You know?"

"No, I don't know." Riku's tone was suddenly hard and cold. "If you think you're going to use me to make Roxas jealous, think again." Then he snorted. "Although I might be down for a mutual using if I thought it would make Sora jealous, but I know it wouldn't. Oh, I can see it now. 'Riku, it's so nice you and Axel are comforting each other like Roxas and I are!'" Axel blinked at the almost perfect imitation of Sora's voice, and Riku leaned back with a sigh, tempted to follow Axel's example and spit in the ashtray. But he restrained himself. "So if you're thinking of making Roxas jealous you're SOL."

"That's not it." Axel said sharply as Riku looked at him, lifting his eyebrows. "It's… fuck. I want to forget, you know? I want to just have some mindless sex to forget that the guy I'd pinned all my hopes and dreams on just kicked me to the curb. I could just get shit-faced but then I'd have a headache tomorrow and miss more classes."

"Oh." That was almost practical and a little surprising from Axel. "Alright, but we're not going to your place. Sora said the stench nearly killed him. You can come to my place." Riku had never been to Axel's place but knew from Sora's descriptions that something furry could usually be found in an out of the way corner. And it wasn't a pet. Axel looked a touch irritated, then shrugged.

"It's not THAT bad. But okay." He was sure that preppy Riku kept a cleaner house than he did. Riku stood, tossing his empty cup in the trash. They walked to Axel's car in companionable silence. Riku didn't have a car, depending on public transportation, so Axel had driven them here from the Clock Tower. And…

"I see Roxas has been busy." Riku observed as Axel muttered something foul. There were deep gouges in the paint job that hadn't been there a few hours ago, and the seats were trashed. "Look on the bright side. He didn't slash your tires." Angry as Roxas was, he'd clearly settled for the things Axel could afford to live without. Replacing all his tires would have been unbelievably expensive for the redhead and Axel had no money to spare since he'd been kicked out of his mother's home. Riku knew that his father's child support was paying for part of Axel's rent, but nothing else, and Roxas would know it even better than him.

"Yeah, yeah." Axel groused as he sat on a slashed seat, muttering about springs. Riku took a seat beside him and winced as he felt the sharp edges prickling him. Still, it was endurable. Axel gunned the engine and Riku gripped the dashboard as the car surged into traffic with a squeal of tires on pavement.

"Do you remember the way to my place?" Riku asked. He was living with his father, technically, but the old man was hardly ever home.

"Yeah, yeah. Go to the place with the creepy garden gnomes." Riku blinked. Creepy? "I swear, have you looked at those things? They're as bad as the trolls. The way they're smirking just screams, 'we're definitely going to kill you, but we'll be having some _fun_ with you first.'"

"What is with you and your fear of trolls and garden gnomes? Were you traumatized as a child?" Axel seemed to actually consider that as he maneuvered the car through traffic.

"Yeah. You remember that old horror movie Dolls? It freaked me right the fuck out. Mom had to take all the toys out of my room." Riku scratched his head thoughtfully.

"I've never seen it. Sounds interesting, maybe I'll have to see about renting it." Axel shot him a dirty look and Riku grinned. "Come on Axel, I bet if you watched it now you'd get over the trauma. It can't possibly be that scary for a grown man."

"Hm. Maybe." Axel didn't think he was going to test the theory though. Axel pulled up to his house and Riku looked critically at the garden gnomes for the first time in years. Maybe Axel had a point. They certainly hadn't weathered the forces of time well. "You're thinking about getting rid of them, aren't you? Come on, do it man!"

"I'd have to replace them with pink flamingos." Riku said absently as he left the car and Axel made a face.

"Your sense of style is worse than mine…" Riku tuned the redhead out as he worked at the lock, letting them into the house. "Shit! When was the last time someone decorated this place? It's like a fucking time warp!" Riku sighed, shaking his head.

"No one's decorated for at least ten years, which is when mom died and the last time I saw my dad regularly. Get over it, Axel." Riku didn't much care what the house looked like. Sure, it was stuck in the 70's and sort of horrific, in a shag carpeting, hippy curtain way but what could you do? He wasn't spending any money to fix it. Axel blinked and shook his head.

"Looks like my grannies house. Just tell me there's no carpeting on the toilet." Axel gingerly took a seat in a battered couch and looked up as he realized Riku was silent. "There is, isn't there." Riku blushed and scowled.

"So what if there is?" Axel looked like he was trying to decide if he was appalled or amused, and finally settled on amused, laughing. "Just don't pee in it or I'll have to make you wash it." Riku shook his head in disgust as Axel snorted. "So are you hungry?" It was past supper time and Riku was beginning to feel famished. Axel nodded.

"Starving. Got anything fast?" Riku nodded and went to the kitchen to look around.

"I have some Annie's instant udon soup. It's pretty good, would you like some?" It was also a touch expensive but Riku had developed a taste for the instant bowls and his father covered the food expenses anyway. Axel looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Sure. I've never had udon soup before, sounds interesting." His usual foods leaned towards ramen and kraft dinner with a bit of pizza delivery thrown in for variety. And a whole lot of coffee. It wasn't healthy, but it was keeping him alive. Riku opened the packages, pouring hot water over the noodles from a nearby water cooler and straining them. Then he added more hot water, the packets of spices and put the two bowls in the microwave. "Say, why do you have a water cooler?" That was a bit unusual. Riku shrugged.

"The water here tastes like shit. Don't ask me why, but dad decided to get the cooler." Riku thought it had been a good investment. The microwave dinged and he pulled out the soups. "Here you go." Axel noisily slurped his soup as Riku took a seat, eating his more carefully. It was good and they both finished it quickly, Axel looking wistfully into the bottom of his bowl. Without being asked, Riku went to get some cookies for the lanky redhead. Axel's appetite was the stuff of legends.

"Thanks Riku." Axel grinned as he started working on the arrowroot cookies. They went well with the coffee Riku had poured. Riku shrugged.

"It's nothing. Um, Axel, I have a question." Axel looked up questioningly as Riku cleared his throat, looking a touch embarrassed. "…Who's going to top?"

"Huh?" Axel blinked. "I figured I would." Although on a bit of reflection, he could see it wouldn't be that simple. Riku had probably always topped Sora and the silver hair was looking a little miffed at his response.

"I've only been on the bottom once." He admitted, remembering. "And it wasn't very good." It hadn't been with Sora. Riku hadn't managed to convince Sora to try topping him, he was afraid of hurting him, and Riku thought he had a point considering the way his first time had gone. He'd been left bleeding. "Actually, it was kind of brutal." Axel blinked.

"With Sora? No way!" Riku looked away and shook his head. "Oh, someone else? Um… hey I know!" Riku looked at the redhead suspiciously as he grinned. "Let's decide this by the length of our cocks!" Riku choked on his coffee, accidentally spraying it across the table.

"Axel, fuck!" Riku wheezed as he coughed, trying to clean up the mess with a few Kleenexes from the box on the table. "Are you seriously suggesting we measure our dicks?" Axel thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Axel grinned as Riku stared at him. "Come on, don't tell me you've never done it before!" Riku blushed as he remembered.

"Okay, I did once. But I'm not sure how long it was." Long enough was all he could remember. "Oh fine. Do you have a ruler?" It took a little while but they managed to locate a measuring tape. "Looks like six and 7/8 inches. You?"

"A full seven. You lose." Axel looked smug and Riku was outraged.

"That's an eighth of an inch! Are you even measuring right?" It took a little while but they managed to determine Axel was just that tiny bit longer. "Oh fine. Although you're making me rethink sleeping with you in the first place."

"Stop being a sore loser. I'm going to make you sore somewhere else." Riku winced as Axel gripped his wrist, and the redhead paused. "Well, not really. I mean it's an expression."

"I know." Riku couldn't help but feel very nervous though. He didn't want to revisit his first time. But it wouldn't be like that, would it? The guy he'd been with had been a virgin too, they hadn't even used lube. Axel knew what he was doing and Roxas certainly hadn't complained. "Okay, this way." He showed Axel to the bedroom and Axel winced as his eyes were assaulted by more decorations that hadn't been changed since the 70's.

"Uh, Riku. I'm not sure I can do this on choo-choo train blankets." He said as he looked at the bed and Riku paused in pulling out a box of erotic aides.

"Really? Sora thought it was hot. He'd make train noises sometimes." Axel choked at the mental image.

"And I thought Roxas and I were perverted! Holy shit! I'm learning more about you than I'd've ever guessed at." It was amazing, and got a little bit moreso when he leaned over Riku's shoulder to look into the box. "Are those handcuffs?"

"Yes, but that's not for tonight. Well, unless you want to cuff me." Riku considered it and shook his head. "Save that for some other time." Although that assumed they would have another time. Riku shrugged to himself. He'd see how good Axel was in bed then decide. Riku pulled out an anal spray and an anal relaxer. "So, um. I got this when I was trying to convince Sora to try topping me but we've never used it." Axel looked at it curiously, turning the bottle over.

"That's new, I've never seen one of these before. Pjur backdoor anal comfort spray? Lightly desensitizes the anal sphincter… that's not a bad idea actually. I love the name, backdoor, hah!" Riku smiled as Axel took both the bottles and began pulling off his clothes. Axel blinked, then set the bottles on the bed before following suit. Riku paused for a moment to just look at him. Disrobed, Axel was pretty much what he'd expected… tall, lanky but well muscled. Riku blushed slightly before stepping close and giving the redhead a tentative kiss. Axel's hand slid through silvery hair and he deepened the kiss, cradling Riku against his chest with his other arm.

"You like what you see?" Axel gently teased him when they parted, and Riku blushed again before smiling.

"Yes, actually." And it was the truth. Axel and Sora were only similar in that they were both well muscled. Their body types were completely different and Riku didn't think this would remind him of the brunette at all. Right now, that was what he wanted. "Do you like what you see?" He asked Axel, feeling almost vulnerable, but the redhead grinned.

"Do I? Hah!" Axel's next kiss was hot and demanding, and Riku yielded to it, letting the redhead guide him to the bed. They were touching each other, engaging in foreplay, but Riku felt curiously disconnected from it. Maybe it was the memory of Sora in this room or the pills, but he wasn't focusing –

"Ah!" Pain touched him as Axel bit his shoulder, drawing blood. "What the hell, man?"

"You weren't paying attention, I could tell. Stop thinking so much you freak." Axel muttered in his ear and Riku took a deep breath, concentrating on the moment. Axel was hard against him, and Riku reached down to stroke him, swallowed as he felt Axel's warm hand encircling him. It felt good, pumping each other together as they rolled their hips together, but he wanted more. Axel clearly felt the same way, stopping what he was doing to grab the bottles.

"How the fuck do I use this? It's a spray." Axel examined the bottle a moment as Riku laughed, feeling somewhere between sexy and nauseated. This had to be the oddest sexual experience he'd had in his life… well, except for the Halloween party where Sora had been dressed as a pink bunny. Nothing was ever going to compete with that one.

"I think you spray it in there. Just an idea." Axel rolled his eyes and decided to do just that, parting Riku's legs. Riku shivered a little at the coldness, then winced as a finger slid inside him. "Ah…" The comfort spray actually seemed to help, though. It didn't feel bad at all, just a little strange and Riku quickly eased into it, closing his eyes as he got used to the feeling. "Mmm." Riku drew a breath as Axel added a second finger, scissoring them and looking for something inside him. "Ah!" Riku gasped, opening his eyes as Axel found that spot inside him. "Oh… that's good…" He'd known it felt good, of course. Sora had loved it, but he'd never really had the experience himself. His first time had seemed to bypass it entirely. Then Axel added a third finger and Riku squirmed a little, biting his lip. That hurt but he tried to relax, accepting what Axel was doing.

"You're tight." Axel was a bit astonished by how tight Riku was, but then, Riku and Sora weren't like him and Roxas. He'd been on the bottom with the blonde plenty of times and Axel briefly hoped this wasn't going to hurt the silver hair. But Riku was as stretched as he was going to get and Axel's body had needs, so he pulled his hand away and slowly eased himself inside, wincing at Riku's strangled cry.

Riku bit his lip, trying not to cry out. It _hurt_, the relaxer numbed things a little but it still hurt and he just hoped he wasn't going to bleed again. Then, abruptly, Axel scraped across that special spot inside him and Riku's eyes went wide as he gasped. Axel looked into his face and grinned as he saw the difference.

"Told you I'd make it good." He murmured into the silver hair's ear and Riku was about to ask when he'd said that when Axel started to move, dragging another ragged gasp from his throat. The redhead felt so good inside him, so big and right. It was just as good as being with Sora but completely different, and Riku gladly gave himself to the difference… but couldn't resist making a train sound. "Fuck Riku!"

"Come on Axel, harder." Riku gasped out and groaned as Axel complied, speeding his thrusts and rocking him into the bed. "Fuck yes!" Riku was tempted to add something else but Axel firmly put a hand over his mouth.

"If you say here comes the choo choo train or something fucked up, I'm pulling out and going to finish in the bathroom." Axel muttered and Riku nodded, deciding not to push his luck. This felt too good, he didn't want it to end like that. Axel pulled away his hand and they kissed, exploring each other's mouths as they moved together. Riku cried out again, tensing around Axel as he hit that spot so hard sparks seemed to erupt behind his eyes. It just felt so good and Riku felt the need to come building inside himself, but held it back. He wanted this to last.

"Riku, god, you're so damn tight." Axel gasped, licking and nipping Riku's throat, tasting his sweat and the sweet taste that seemed to be Riku. Riku clenched around him again and Axel gasped, feeling himself pulled almost to the edge. "F – fuck!" Reaching down, he stroked the silver hair in time with each thrust, making him mewl and shudder with pleasure. Riku kissed Axel again, then cried out in his mouth as he suddenly found his release, white fluid splattering them both. Axel's eyes went wide as he felt Riku tensing around him and he came a moment later, filling the boy with his hot seed. Riku felt wonderful, almost floating, and when Axel came it didn't seem bad the way it had the first time… it felt right. They stayed together for a long moment, and Riku reached up to pet sweaty red hair, marveling at how soft it felt under his fingers.

"Have I ever told you you have beautiful hair?" He said suddenly and Axel chuckled, tiredly before nuzzling Riku's throat again.

"No, but you can as much as you want." Riku smiled as Axel pulled away from him, then winced as sat up.

"We're a mess. Want to take a shower?" That was his usual routine with Sora, but it was purely practical. Riku had trouble falling to sleep messy like this, and he was even messier now than usual. Axel grinned.

"With you? Sure, sounds great." Riku laughed and stood, a bit wobbly, and took Axel's hand, leading the redhead to the shower.

This felt like it might be the beginning of something interesting. What, neither one of them was sure… but something interesting. They would just have to see.


	2. Beer Bottle Openers and Fiery Fights

Author's Note: In case anyone is wondering, my sister owns that beer bottle opener. It's REAL! Go get one, if you can, it's full of win.

School the next day was interesting.

Riku realized quite soon that Sora was avoiding him, which suited him down to the ground. He didn't want to Sora, wasn't sure he'd ever want to talk to him again. But he certainly didn't want to right now. Roxas and Axel, meanwhile, were not avoiding each other. They were talking. Well… arguing. And shooting daggers at each other when they weren't doing that. Unfortunately, it looked like Axel's and Roxas' friends were picking sides and most were choosing to go with Roxas. Not surprising, perhaps, since Axel had been the first one to key something but still difficult for the redhead. Riku decided to step in at lunch.

"Hey Axel, come sit with us." He offered the redhead, making the rest of the table look at him oddly. They were all jocks and good students, and most of them didn't know Axel beyond his name. Riku decided abruptly that he didn't care. Axel hesitated, glanced at Roxas and his old friends, then shrugged.

"Sure, why not." A bit of awkwardness meeting new people was better than hostility and coldness. Sora was sitting with Roxas too, and Axel didn't doubt he'd take his brother's side in things. It was time to branch out. Axel sat down, tried a bit of his lunch and almost spat it out. "Shit! This is foul. What in hell is it?"

"Strawberry goulash." Axel looked ready to vomit and Riku smiled, shaking his head. "You need to read the menu they put out at the beginning of the week, Axel." Everyone else at the table had brought sandwiches and things from home and Axel was getting several amused looks. "Here, I'll spot you half my sandwich."

"You can have my apple." A girl down the table offered, rolling it over. Axel caught it with a grin.

"Thanks Mia." She dimpled at him prettily. Axel vaguely remembered she was a cheerleader, and she was lovely, with long black hair and dark blue eyes. Not snooty at all though, not like the blond bitch sitting next to her. What was her name? Axel didn't remember and didn't care. Another kid tossed over a peanut butter cup, which made Axel grin. "Hey, thanks. Tidus, right?"

"Right." The blonde kid smiled and ate his own sandwich. Axel tried the half Riku had given him, and was pleased to find it was roast beef on foccacia bread, and big too. Riku always seemed to have the best foods. Axel let the conversation roll over him… it was mostly about football, which he knew nothing about and cared less… but suddenly woke up when things turned to a topic near and dear to his heart.

"So are any of you going to the Crazy Potato concert this weekend?" Mia asked brightly and Axel perked up.

"I am! I've already got my tickets." He was really looking forward to it, too. Riku glanced at him, a bit surprised, and Axel grinned at him. "Want to come Riku?" He was mostly teasing. Riku had mentioned that he didn't much like concerts, they were too loud. But Riku looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment.

"How much are the tickets?" That was a pressing concern. Riku was saving like crazy to have enough for university, so he didn't spend his money frivolously.

"They're fifty dollars. I'm going." Tidus offered brightly. "You ought to try it Riku, I mean, the only time you went to a concert it was the Jane Biscuits. They sucked, bigtime."

"You're the one who talked me into that." Riku said, amused, then shrugged. "Why not? Is the seating random or assigned?" If it was assigned they were going to be out of luck, but Axel shook his head.

"It's random. Why don't we all go together? I've got a car, although the seats are all fucked up." It was going to be some time before he could replace them. Tidus grinned.

"That would be perfect! I was going to get my mom to take me but she gets all pissy, this would be better. And Mia lives right near me. Anyone got some paper?" Riku frowned and searched his pockets, finding an old receipt from something. "Thanks." Tidus quickly scribbled down his and Mia's addresses as Axel watched, bemused. "Here. Pick us up at five? That'll give us plenty of time to get there."

"Sure thing." Axel made the paper disappear, feeling oddly pleased. Sure, they might not be his type but Riku's friends seemed nice enough. It might take some work but he felt like he could fit in here. And with Roxas busy alienating all of his old friends, that was important. Axel was a social person, he didn't want to end up eating by himself or the really weird kids. Not that there was anything wrong with being weird because you liked alternative stuff, but, well, there was something wrong with being weird because you had 30 gigs of porno on your hard drive and liked to boast about it. Some things were just too much.

"Come over to my place after class?" Riku murmured to him as they walked to their next class, and Axel flashed him a grin.

"Sure, why not?" It wasn't like he had anything pressing to do, and he could bum a meal off Riku. Anything that made his food supplies stretch was good, although… "I don't want to mooch off you though." Riku didn't seem to be much better off than him, although he was living at home. But the silver haired boy shook his head.

"Dad has an open account at the grocery store, I can get anything I want. Don't worry about that." Axel blinked at that arrangement, a bit taken aback. Was Riku's dad never home at all? But it relieved his mind a bit.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and Axel drove them back to Riku's place. Riku looked at the seats thoughtfully as they got out.

"You know, maybe you could just put on seat covers. I bet it would be cheaper than getting them completely recovered." He wasn't sure, but it was probably something to look into. Axel tilted his head to one side thoughtfully, then shrugged.

"Maybe. Have to see if K-Mart carries anything. So what's for supper?" Axel's stomach rumbled on cue and Riku laughed, opening the door.

"We just got home! Have a cookie and I'll make something." Riku went to the kichen, opening the fridge and considering the contents for a moment. "I was thinking of making pork chops, but with two of us… how about a pork stir fry?" Idly Riku wondered if he should start planning on always making enough for two. That would be almost nice, actually.

"Sounds great! Need any help chopping stuff?" Axel offered, finding some girl scout cookies and wolfing a few down. Riku smiled as he pulled out some green peppers from the vegetable cooler.

"Get started on these." They chopped together for a while, Riku throwing the pieces into the wok and quickly frying them with squirts of soy sauce. Then he put a packet of Annie's sticky rice into the microwave, letting it run as he worked on the stir fry. "You know, Axel. You really don't have to worry about coming over here to eat. If you want, you can come over every night. It would be nice to have company." Axel paused, blinking at him.

"Seriously? You sure?" Riku nodded, feeling a familiar ache in his chest, a tight feeling that would never go away completely. But it could be eased for a while. "What would your dad think?" Axel was aware his mother was dead. Riku paused in his stirring for a moment, then shrugged.

"He's never here, so who cares what he thinks?" Axel's eyes widened at the bitterness in his tone and Riku tried to gentle it, managing a half-smile. "The last time I saw him was in June."

"Holy shit! I see my parents more than that and they kicked my ass to the curb. What happened?" Axel couldn't see why Riku's dad would be away so much. Riku was a good kid, not a troublemaker like him. Riku stirred the food for a moment before speaking.

"It's like this. Mom died when I was eight. Before that we lived in a really nice house on the South side of town. We even had a swimming pool. After she died dad sold it and moved me here. It was like the house reminded him of her." Riku swallowed, then tried a bit of the carrot in the stir fry. It was still too hard. "I'm a reminder too. I look just like her… so he started going on business trips. At first he hired a nanny for me, but she quit when I was twelve and he didn't get another one." Riku shrugged. "I see him maybe twice a year, usually around Christmas and my birthday." Axel was silent for a moment.

"That's seriously fucked up, Riku. So he has an account for you at the grocery store?" Riku nodded.

"And one at Abercrombie and Finch for clothes. He also takes care of all the bills and I send any repair bills and whatnot to some law office and they take care of it." Riku shrugged. "I have no idea what he's doing, but I've never heard any complaints about my spending." He wasn't sure anyone was checking what he spent, but since he was limited to two stores it usually wasn't that much anyway.

"Wait, so that means you can only buy clothes at A&F? That sucks man!" Axel exclaimed as Riku pulled the rice from the microwave. "No wonder you always look so… preppie."

"Yeah, Abercrombie doesn't sell shirts with skulls on like the ones you wear… can you pass me some plates?" Riku asked as he pulled the stir fry off the stove, and Axel fetched a couple plates out of the cupboard. "Thanks." Riku split the rice evenly then poured the stir fry over top. Axel grabbed his plate with a grin.

"Well, if you think I'm turning down free food, think again. I'd love to mooch off you." Riku smiled and got them some beer from the fridge. "Alexander Keats? I love you. Marry me."

"You'd marry me for beer? Talk about a cheap date." Riku said absently as he used the bottle opener on Axel's bottle. The redhead stared as the beer opener mumbled _Mmmm… beer… Hehehe…yes oh yes! WooHOO!_ in Homer Simpson's voice.

"What the fuck Riku?" Axel laughed and Riku looked up with a grin.

"Like it? I found it in a novelty store." Riku repeated the process on his own beer and sat down beside Axel as the redhead flipped though the TV stations. They were eating in the living room. "Hmm… want to watch Dancing with the Stars?"

"Hell ya! That's a good show." Riku laughed and turned it to that channel. They ate mostly in silence, occasionally commenting on the show and the occasional commercial. Riku smiled to himself. Just hanging out with Axel was surprisingly comfortable.

"Do you want to stay over tonight?" He suddenly asked the redhead, and Axel hesitated before shaking his head.

"Nah. Last night was kinda difficult, I had to drive home and get changed before I could go to school." Doing all that in the morning had been a pain. Riku looked slightly disappointed and mumbled something. "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing." Riku had been thinking that it would be much simpler if Axel moved in with him. The redhead could save money on his apartment and Riku could have some company. But they had been intimate, so that might be awkward. And far too soon. Riku resolved that if they were still liking each other in a couple months he would mention it. It would be a huge savings for Axel and maybe for him as well, if Axel could pick up some of the incidentals. Of course, the downside would be that Axel was a slob… maybe he would have to think about that more carefully. Riku wasn't sure he wanted to end up cleaning up after the redhead.

All they did that night was a goodbye kiss, and Riku felt a bit tingly as he went to bed. It was almost like it had been a date. A very strange, limited date, but still a date. What did it mean?

Deciding he wasn't going to figure it out, Riku let himself drift off to sleep. He'd just have to take things as they came.

* * *

The next few months saw Axel and Riku getting closer. They both had to adjust a little. Riku went to concerts with Axel and started tentatively trying his online games. Getting his butt kicked in the process, of course, but he took his losses gracefully and tried to keep learning. Axel went with Riku on nature hikes and found he rather enjoyed it, although he wasn't willing to watch Riku's football games. Which was just fine by Riku, they didn't need to be joined at the hip. Riku and Sora had started casually talking again, although they weren't nearly as close as they had been. Which was to be expected. If anything, Riku thought it was a minor miracle that he could manage a civil conversation with the brunette.

Roxas and Axel couldn't manage a civil conversation, and his defection to the jock table had sealed Axel's estrangement from his former friends. But he was branching out and making new ones, and he still had his online friends. Things seemed to be mostly working out.

Well. Except for a few aspects.

"Hello there handsome." Riku blinked at the voice behind him and turned to look, disbelieving. He was at the titty bar, pouring drinks, and that was the last place he'd have expected to find Axel. He gaped for a moment at the redhead.

"What in hell Axel? What are you doing here?" Technically, Axel wasn't really his boyfriend and he could go anywhere he liked. But while the redhead was a bisexual pervert, he was also incredibly broke. Titty bars were not for broke people. Axel looked a bit embarrassed.

"Er, yeah. I'm here to talk to you." Riku gave him a long stare and Axel coughed. "Would you mind if I crashed at your place for a while?"

"Dare I ask why?" Riku asked, morbidly curious. Axel hunched a bit and mumbled something. "What was that?"

"I had another fight with Roxas and started a fire in my apartment!" Axel said in an unfortunate lull in the sound of the bar, and turned red as a half-dozen people turned to stare at him. "I… fuck! I've been kicked out, okay?" Riku shook his head with a small smile.

"I hope the fire was an accident. Okay, you can come stay with me. But if you make any fires I'm feeding you to the garden gnomes." Riku had the pleasure of seeing Axel wince. "I'll help you move your stuff tomorrow if you want."

"Thanks Riku." Axel smiled, very relieved as Riku went back to work. "I'll stay about a week, okay?" He didn't want to impose on Riku more than necessary. The silver hair paused then came to an abrupt decision.

"Why don't you just stay with me permanently?" He asked and Axel blinked. Riku finished his tray of drinks which was taken by a waitress, and began pouring some more as he spoke. "You'll just have to get a hotel room twice a year when dad's in town and he won't know the difference." Riku couldn't help the bitter note in his tone, but smoothed it out as he spoke again. "And you can pay for the movie rentals and whatnot, so I'll be able to save a bit more."

"Seriously?" Axel liked that idea a lot. He'd be able to get free meals without having to drive home every night. And of course, Riku's company, which was something he was coming to prize. "I'd love to! Thanks Riku."

"Thank me when we've been living together for a while without killing each other." Riku advised him, and Axel grinned. He didn't think that would be a problem. Riku was one of the most logical, reasonable people in the world and he hated screaming fights. It was a completely different sort of relationship than the one he'd had with Roxas, but Axel was finding he rather enjoyed the absence of drama. Although he wasn't sure he'd call them boyfriends yet. They had sex maybe once a week, but it was still hard to define… closer than fuck buddies but both of them were hesitant about really committing after getting burned so recently. They were like good friends with benefits. Satisfied with that definition, Axel ordered a beer and watched the show a bit, although he couldn't see as much as he would have liked from the bar. But then, he couldn't afford to tip the girls so that was fine.

"Well, I have to go to K-Mart." He said as he checked the time. His job was the night shift. "Can you leave the door open for me?" Riku nodded absently, filling out another order.

"No problem. You can sleep with me or in dad's room, whichever you prefer." Riku vaguely hoped Axel would stay with him. It would be nice to have someone to curl up with. Axel grinned and reached out, gently cupping his cheek and making the silver hair blush.

"Oh, definitely with you. Later Riku." Axel slipped out of the bar, leaving Riku smiling as he worked. Everyone in the bar knew he was gay, he was quite open about it, so Axel's affection didn't bother him a bit. In fact, it felt good. Was he falling for the redhead?

Riku wasn't sure if he wanted that to be true or not. His heart had been broken to pieces so recently. He didn't know if he could take that happening again, and Axel didn't seem to be quite finished with Roxas, even if he was dating Olette now. Roxas didn't seem to be finished with the redhead either, with all the arguments, but Riku had no idea what to make of that. It just wasn't how he dealt with the world so he couldn't say what it meant. But it should have been easy for the two of them to avoid each other so it had to mean something. Riku decided there was no point in worrying about it. But he would have to be careful not to give his whole heart to Axel until he and Roxas had stopped even fighting each other.

He couldn't stand to have his heart broken again.


	3. Christmas Time

Sora watched Roxas worriedly as the blonde paced and quietly cursed.

Sora felt bad about hurting Riku. Guilty, terrible, but it had needed to be done. He'd realized for some time that his feelings for Kairi were growing. He wasn't denying his sexuality, girls had a powerful attraction for him. And after a lot of reflection, Sora had realized he wanted things out of his life that Riku simply couldn't give him. Like a family. Riku didn't like kids at all and Kairi's dream was to be a mother someday. Not only that, he fit with Kairi even better than he fit with Riku. They had so many similar interests, they just seemed to click on a fundamental level. So even though it had hurt them both, Sora had broken up with Riku, waited a month to be respectful, then asked Kairi out. It had all been very low key and without any drama.

Roxas was doing things completely differently and Sora couldn't help but be worried for him. His relationship with Axel had always been stormy, punctuated with fights and steamy make-up sex. It wasn't the kind of relationship Sora could even wish for, but Roxas had seemed to enjoy it. But then he had confided in Sora that he was getting tired of the fights and wanted something gentler, calmer, something like what Sora had. He'd started dating Olette in secret which had been entirely the wrong thing to do, and Sora had told him so. But Roxas went his own way. When he'd finally broken the news to Axel there had been one heck of a fight that had gone psycho on both sides, but that was pretty much what Sora had been expecting.

He hadn't expected them to _keep_ fighting and it looked like Roxas was the instigator.

"Roxas, there's no reason Axel shouldn't be making new friends." Sora said soothingly. Roxas had gotten pissed that Axel wasn't sitting with them anymore, which Sora thought was one of the more idiotic things to be angry about. He hadn't even tried to join Riku's friends after their breakup, that would have been beyond awkward. Yes, they'd been his friends too, but he had other friends. And Kairi liked to sit with the band group which made things easy.

"He's making friends with the fucking football team! All the popular kids! Why would he dump us like this?" Roxas snarled and Sora resisted the urge to retort _because you made everyone hate him you idiot!_ Then he would just be fighting with Roxas and he really hated fighting.

That was pretty much how it had gone though. Roxas hadn't mentioned the whole cheating on Axel with Olette part and she'd naturally stayed mum. So all the rest of the group knew was how Axel had gone over the edge, keyed Roxas' motorcycle and egged the house. Their father, Cloud, had been super pissed about that when he got home and had made Roxas clean it up. Axel was banned from their house now, not that Sora thought the redhead would come over on a bet. Roxas had told all his friends the story of how he'd spent hours cleaning dried egg off the porch and they had naturally taken his side in things. Which was fine, sort of.

Except that Roxas seemed to keep finding things to bitch at Axel about. Sora thought it was a bit sick. Roxas had broken up with Axel, if anyone should have been trying to make contact it would have been the redhead. But Axel seemed to be completely rejecting Roxas now while Roxas was looking him up just to yell at him. It was like the blonde just couldn't give up the drama in his life and that worried Sora profoundly. Was he going to try to make up with Axel someday? That would be hard on Olette and Sora wasn't sure Axel would be receptive anymore. That could be a truly epic fight, Roxas didn't take rejection very well.

"Well, Roxas, you can't expect Axel to feel comfortable being around people who have passed judgment on him." That was the closest Sora could get to reminding Roxas that he'd poisoned the water. "And Riku is supporting him, so it's natural that he'd introduce him to his friends."

"And that's another thing. They're a bit TOO supportive, if you ask me. Axel has moved in with him!" Roxas growled, blue eyes flashing. Sora felt a slight headache starting up.

"That's because he got kicked out of his apartment." _Which you helped cause by fighting with him until he set a fire just to blow some steam off._ Sora thought but didn't say. "Really Roxas, we should be glad for them. Glad that they're helping each other out. Why are you so upset? You're acting like Axel broke up with you." Sora thought that was the crux of the matter. Roxas was acting like _Axel_ had been the one to initiate the breakup. Did that mean he wasn't really happy with Olette and resented that Axel was going on with his life and finding happiness elsewhere? Or was it something else?

"I just don't like it." Roxas said sullenly, and Sora had to be content with that. But…

"Just don't start anymore fights, please?" Sora thought that Axel deserved better than that. He seemed to be trying to move on with his life, he didn't deserve to be harassed by the ex-lover who'd broken up with him. "We don't need to have the house egged again." If Roxas kept bothering Axel it could very well happen again.

"I'll try." From his tone, Roxas was making no promises. Sora sighed and turned on the TV.

He hoped no one did anything rash.

* * *

A few weeks later.

"You're sure about this Riku?" Axel looked nervous and was wearing his best outfit. Riku checked on the turkey that was cooking and carefully basted it with a bit more oil before closing the oven again.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Riku asked absently as he checked on the side dishes that were cooking on the stove top. He'd already finished making the pies yesterday, one pumpkin and the other cherry. "He met Sora the exact same way and didn't care, as usual. He won't care if I have a new boyfriend." It was Christmas time, and Riku's father was due in today. Riku swallowed for a moment then concentrated on the food. It was petty and slightly nasty, but he wanted to make Christmas dinner just like his mother had always done. His father didn't want to be reminded, but Riku desperately wanted to remember and didn't give a damn about his father anymore. There was too much bitterness and pain between them. "And you deserve a really great meal."

"Well, not going to argue with that." Axel's nose twitched as he breathed in the scent of the cooking turkey. It really did smell excellent. The honey glazed carrots and green beans were looking good too, as well as the mashed potatoes. "When's the turkey going to be done?"

"Soon." Riku said absently as he set some of the dishes to warm. Once the turkey was done he would do the gravy and that would be that. "Father should be here in another hour and half or so, and we can eat then." Axel looked a bit dismayed and Riku grinned. "Want some mashed potatoes to tide you over? There's plenty."

"Sure!" Riku fixed him a small plate of the potatoes, which Axel topped with some butter and grated cheese from the fridge. "This is good. You mashed them yourself?" Riku nodded. "It really shows. A lot better than that instant crap I always used."

"Instant potatoes, ick. They taste so gummy." Riku checked on the turkey again, sliding in the meat thermometer and nodding at the readings. "I think it's done. Do you know how to cut a turkey?" Axel grinned.

"Do I? You know I'm good with knives." Riku laughed and pulled the turkey out of the stove, pulling it out of the baking pan and setting it on a serving platter.

"Then have at it while I make the gravy." A bit of flour and plenty of salt and pepper and he was stirring away, reducing down the fat into gravy. Axel had plenty of fun chopping up the bird, setting the dark meat on one plate and the light on the other. "Hey Axel, which do you prefer, light meat or dark?"

"Dark. It's richer, greasier. You?" Riku smiled at the answer.

"Dark. I guess we'll be fighting for it. At least dad likes the light." Axel shrugged good naturedly.

"Hey, I'll eat anything… oh hey, is that him?" There was a knock on the door and then the sound of the front door opening. Riku contented himself to a nod. He knew his father had a key to the house, so there was no doubt who it would be.

"Riku?" Riku gave the sauce a final stir before walking out of the kitchen and looking at his father.

They weren't much alike. His father had shoulder length blond hair and a beard, and looked like a kindly uncle. And personality wise, that wasn't far off the mark. But his gaze slipped away from Riku almost instantly and the silver haired boy held back a sigh. He knew why, but it didn't make this any easier to deal with.

"Hi dad. Supper is almost done." His father smiled vaguely, glancing around and Riku forced a smile.

"Good. So, is your boyfriend here? Sera?" Riku wanted to sigh. Couldn't his father even remember Sora's name? They'd been together for years and known each other since childhood.

"Sora, dad. And no, we broke up a while ago." Axel was peeking out of the kitchen curiously now. "This is Axel. We're together now."

"Ah, I see." His father didn't seem to care, not that it was a surprise. But he actually focused on Axel and nodded to him with a smile. "Please, call me Ansem."

"Pleased to meet you." Axel smiled, trying to make a good impression and getting a good look at Riku's father for the first time. It was… really surprising actually. He'd expected some latter day hippy, given the condition of the house, but Ansem actually seemed completely out of place in this house. He looked like a very successful, high tone businessman. And the briefcase he was setting down… Axel had never seen one quite like it, but thought he knew what it was. He'd have to ask Riku about that later.

They brought out the food and the meal was a little awkward, but Axel did his best to keep the conversation rolling. Ansem seemed willing to talk to him where his responses to any of Riku's comments were extremely short. It was a bit odd. And curiosity was eating Axel alive. He finally decided to deal with that by just asking.

"So, I was wondering, what do you do for a living?" He asked brightly. Riku had never mentioned what his father did and Axel suspected he didn't know.

"Mostly government research." Ansem replied calmly, trying a bit of the green beans. "What are you planning to do when you graduate?" Axel hesitated then mentally shrugged. He didn't think he was going to get anything more out of Ansem than that and started talking about his own plans. Riku listened with a small smile. He'd already heard about Axel's plans to go to University and major in literature and creative writing. Axel wanted to write a book someday, and Riku had already read some of his stories. He thought the redhead had the talent for it.

"…And Riku is saving up for Uni too." Axel said happily and Riku winced faintly. He'd never discussed his plans with his father. "We were thinking of getting a place together when the time comes." Riku didn't know how to ask Axel to shut up about his plans, and it occurred to him that he should have discussed this with his lover ahead of time. Axel did tend to talk a lot. Ansem looked vaguely surprised and looked at Riku, really focusing on him for the first time in years. It was a little disconcerting.

"Riku, I would pay for your schooling. You don't have to do that." Riku shook his head.

"I want to. Don't worry about it dad." Ansem frowned and Riku wondered if he'd caught the reason behind it. He hoped not. He only had a half year to go before he put his plans into effect.

The rest of the meal passed pleasantly and Riku kissed Axel goodbye on the porch. The redhead had gotten a room at the Holiday Inn for the night, which was annoying… Riku desperately wished they could have a proper Christmas morning together… but couldn't be helped. They were trying to maintain the fiction that Axel didn't live there. Riku wasn't sure if Ansem would kick him out if he knew but suspected he would. It wasn't worth chancing. And Axel would be back as soon as his father left, which was noon the next day. So they could have exchange gifts and have a special Christmas evening together. Riku smiled at the thought.

"Riku?" Riku turned, a touch surprised. Normally his father would just pull out a book or start looking at his papers immediately after the family meal was over. "What was this about University?"

"It's nothing dad. Don't worry about it." Riku wondered what his father had expected him to do after he graduated. Just stay home and get a job? Or was it the fact that he was saving that was bothering him? Something was definitely bothering him from the way Ansem was looking at him. He hesitated a moment before speaking.

"You do realize that money is not an issue, don't you?" Riku actually hadn't been sure of that at all. His allowance hadn't changed since he was a child and the house was, well, fugly. Axel was right about the time warp effect. Riku had either thought that his father just didn't care, or there were money problems.

"I want to pay for myself, dad. Don't worry about it, really." Riku's father hesitated a moment, then shook his head, opening his briefcase by pressing his finger against a special scanner. Riku went to bed. He wasn't tired, but didn't want to spend anymore time with his father than necessary.

The next day he was very glad when his father was gone, and called Axel immediately to come back home. The redhead came in holding a big present wrapped in paper with merry raven's on it. Riku blinked at that and decided it had to be some kind of fantasy reference.

"Merry Christmas!" Axel handed him the gift with a grin and Riku smiled back, pleased. "Got any leftovers? I'm starving!" He'd had breakfast but it was wearing thin. Riku laughed and offered him a much smaller present, wrapped in simple gold paper.

"This is for you. And yes, there's a ton of leftovers, help yourself." Axel did that as Riku sat down on the couch and opened his gift.

"Axel, you shouldn't have." Riku was a bit stunned by the gift. An iZune? He'd mentioned wanting one but had never expected Axel to get him one. "30 gigs? Axel, that's huge!" It must have cost the redhead a pretty penny.

"Don't worry about it!" Axel called cheerfully out of the kitchen, then came out with his food, his gift tucked under one arm. "I've saved more than that living with you and I wanted you to have it." Riku smiled, feeling really touched.

"Open your gift." It wasn't as nice as the iZune, but he wanted to see if Axel liked it or not. He was a little worried about that now. Axel quickly opened the small box.

"Wow, neat! Where did you get this?" Axel smiled in pleasure as he pulled out the necklace. Riku had managed to nail his taste perfectly. It wasn't a skull, it was a bit more subtle than that. A pirate's piece of eight coin in sterling silver with a thick, matching necklace.

"I found it online. You like it?" Riku smiled as Axel put it on. It looked perfect against his black shirt and bomber jacket.

"I love it! Seriously, pirates are awesome." Axel ate his food for a moment before mentioning something that had been preying on his mind. "Riku, I was wondering. Is your dad rich?" He'd never have thought Riku's family was rich with the way he lived, but after seeing Ansem he really wondered. Riku frowned.

"I don't know. I don't think so. Why?" It was a bit odd that Axel would notice that. The redhead hesitated, then shrugged.

"You know I'm on the outs with my family?" Riku nodded. He didn't really know why, but knew Axel was on bad terms with his family. "It's partly 'cause I didn't want to go into the family business. Dad's a con man." Riku blinked at that. "He taught me a lot of stuff before I told him to go to hell, and part of it was how to evaluate a mark. Your dad… that suit of his was good, well tailored. His shoes were good too but what got me was his watch. That was a solid gold Rolex, I think. That shit's expensive. And his briefcase, did you see that scanner on it? If he's doing government research it must be something interesting, that kind of briefcase is used to haul jewels around, usually."

"Really?" Riku couldn't help but sound uneasy. He'd never had any idea what his father was doing. After the first couple years, he hadn't cared to ask. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm not taking a penny from him after I graduate and I'm never going to see him again." That day couldn't come too soon. Axel blinked at him, a bit taken aback.

"Why not? He didn't seem that bad to me." A bit distant, maybe, but not abusive. Riku bit back a harsh retort and sighed.

"Axel… when dad got a nanny for me, I wasn't happy. I tried for years to get his attention. I tried everything, being a bad kid, being a good kid, even hurting myself." Riku swallowed hard as he remembered those years. It had been a bad time. "I think Sora kept me sane. He was such a good friend to me." Riku vaguely wished he could have his friendship with Sora back. And maybe he could, eventually, when the pain of their broken romance had dulled. "If he doesn't need me, I don't need him either. As soon as I graduate I'm breaking all ties with him. I don't want his money and if he dies, I don't want an inheritance, except maybe what mom left me. Anything else I'm donating to charity. I don't want anything to do with him." Axel stared at Riku, hearing the bitter anger in his voice and wondering if Ansem knew how his son felt. Did he have any idea how hurt Riku was?

"He probably loves you, you know." Axel finally said and Riku shook his head sharply.

"If you can't show your love in a meaningful way, it might as well not exist." Riku took a deep breath and managed to smile. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Uh, sure. Speaking of family, I went to see my sister this morning." Soon Axel had Riku in stitches with a story about his sister and her brood of children. Apparently, his sister was just as insane as Axel and the kids were holy terrors, but really fun to watch if you didn't have to clean up after them. "Say, want to watch the holiday marathon?"

"I would love to." And they curled up in front of the TV, eating leftover and drinking hot coco as they watched Christmas movies of days gone by.

It was a good Christmas.


	4. Skating, Brats and Online Games

Riku laced up his skates then stamped them into place, looking over the river with a small smile.

It was deep winter now and the snow was everywhere. The river had finally frozen solid and was safe to skate on, so everyone was having a blast. It had taken a bit of convincing, but the offer of unlimited fresh donuts had gotten Axel out onto the ice.

"Oh shit!" Riku couldn't help but laugh as Axel tried desperately to keep his balance. "I hate skating!"

"Practice makes perfect." He said serenely as he skated over and offered Axel an arm. The redhead gripped him tightly, muttering something about not wanting this kind of practice. "Ah, chin up. There's donuts."

"Curse you for knowing my weakness." Axel glanced around, shading his eyes for a moment. "Is the whole school here?" It sure looked like it. Riku nodded.

"Probably. It's a perfect day. Sunny, not too cold, not too windy and no snow." Riku couldn't think of a thing that was wrong with it. Although he spotted blonde, spiky hair. That was something wrong with it. "Why don't we go this way?" The last thing he wanted was for Axel and Roxas to get into it again. They'd had a fight at school last week that had almost gotten physical.

"Sure." Axel hadn't spotted Roxas at all and let Riku lead him down the river. Soon they were both skating more freely as Axel got the hang of it. "Heh, this is pretty fun!"

"I told you so." Riku smiled as he spotted a donut vendor. They were donut holes, actually, freshly fried as you waited. "Want some donuts?"

"Oh hell ya!" Riku bought donuts for Axel, but none for himself. He'd noticed that he was putting on a few pounds, hanging around with the voracious redhead, and had decided to watch it. He just didn't have Axel's insane metabolism. Instead, he got a small class of hot cider, sipping it as they skated. "Hey, I was wondering. What are you doing for spring break?"

"Um." Riku hesitated briefly, then shrugged to himself. He was going to have to tell Axel sooner or later and he was sure the redhead would be delighted. It was only his own hang-ups keeping him from enjoying the gift. "After he left, dad decided I needed something a bit better as a Christmas gift." His father had gotten him an engraved chest, which had been a rather nice if impersonal gift. Riku strongly suspected that he'd been left feeling guilty after finding out Riku was planning to pay for his own tuition. "He's sent me a pre-paid card loaded with ten thousand dollars." Axel gaped at him and Riku looked away. "He said to use it for March break." And the nature of the card guaranteed that he would have to use it on that, or other frivolous things. It would expire in July so it was no good trying to save the money for school.

"I told you your dad had some serious cash!" Riku couldn't help but smile at Axel's obvious delight. It felt like a bribe, but he had to admit the card was a good one. "So where are we going to go?"

"Well, actually." Riku started, tone studiously innocent. "I don't really feel good about using this on myself." Axel stared at him, starting to look disappointed. Riku wasn't going to throw the card away, was he? "So I thought maybe we could go to WizWar Con. It's being held on March break this year." Axel's eyes widened. That was possibly the biggest, baddest fantasy convention in the world.

"Are you _serious_? Riku, I fucking love you!" Axel grabbed the startled silver hair and gave him a deep, sloppy kiss. Riku broke away, laughing and rubbing his face.

"Don't drool on me or I'll reconsider it! You'll have to guide me a bit, I've never been to a fantasy convention before." Riku didn't have the vaguest idea how they worked, but their own town had a yearly gathering so he was sure Axel would know. Axel grinned wickedly.

"You have no idea what you're getting into. You know what this means, right?" Riku cocked an eyebrow at him. "We're both going to cosplay!"

"Errr. Like, costumes?" Riku was vaguely aware of cosplay as something geeky. He hadn't known Axel engaged in it, but then the convention in town was a long ways off. Axel nodded.

"Last year Roxas and I went as vault dwellers from Fallout." Riku felt completely clueless as Axel eyed him, then grinned. "I know! Let's do Star Trek this year." Riku felt vaguely relieved. He knew what Star Trek was and had even watched several of the movies. It was science fiction so it was more in his area of interest, although he preferred books to TV shows. "Have you ever watched classical Star Trek, with Kirk and them?"

"No, never. I was more partial to Picard." Riku frowned slightly as he spotted someone coming up behind them and glanced around, trying to find a good way to go. But there wasn't one. "Uh, Axel." Axel glanced over and his expression went cool.

"Oh." He turned his attention away from Roxas and Sora, intent on not letting the blonde get him down. "So yeah. In that case, I'll go as Kirk and you can be a red shirt." Axel grinned, wondering if Riku would get it but apparently not since he just nodded.

"That sounds good, I'd prefer not to do anything too complicated. Red shirt means ensign, right?" Riku was a little vague on that.

"It means the guy who gets thrown in front of a rampaging monster as soon as they beam down." Axel turned to glare at the blonde behind them and Riku felt annoyed on his behalf. No doubt he'd been planning to spring that on him in a funny way, but now it was ruined.

"Why don't you stay out of conversations that don't concern you." He said, more rudely than he could recall ever speaking in his life. Well, except to really drunk customers at the titty bar. Sometimes you had to be rude to get through to them. Roxas turned on him, eyes flashing.

"Why don't you – " Whatever he was about to say was left unspoken as Sora clamped a hand firmly over his face.

"Roxas is just out of sorts. I'm sorry Riku." Sora said apologetically as Roxas tried to pull his hand away and skidded on the ice. Riku couldn't help but smile at that. It was things like this that had made him fond of the two brothers. "I keep telling him he needs more sleep but he just won't listen."

"I do not!" Roxas finally succeeded in prying Sora's hand away. "I want to know why Axel is spending all his time with this _freak _and the damned _football_ team!" Riku tensed as Axel shot Roxas a dirty look, but neither of them had time to say anything before Sora spoke soothingly again.

"Roxas, you're being silly. We should be glad for them, that Axel and Riku are comforting each other like we are." Axel burst into loud laughter, getting everyone's attention and making Sora blink. "What's so funny?"

"It's just… that's _exactly_ what Riku said you would say!" And the tone had been exactly the same too. Riku face palmed as Sora considered that, then shrugged and started to drag Roxas away.

"Sora! Let go!" Roxas tried to struggle out of his twin's grip but Sora was a better skater and the ice worked against him. If he struggled hard enough to get away there was every chance he'd end up on his face. Sora, meanwhile, felt that it was necessary to get Roxas away. His fights with Axel were more sound and fury than actual physical violence but Sora knew quite well that Riku wasn't like that. If Roxas and Riku mixed it up someone would end up bleeding.

"Come on Roxas, you need some more sleep and Olette and Kairi are waiting for us at the café." Riku made a mental note not to go to the café when they were done. They both watched the brothers depart, Roxas reluctantly giving in to Sora, and Riku finally pulled out a cigarette.

"Want one?" He offered it to Axel, who took it and let him light it. Riku pulled out another for himself, finding the routine calming.

"I want more donuts now." Axel said and Riku sighed, resigning himself to a little more weight gain. He wanted donuts too now.

"Sure." He'd just have to exercise more later to make up for it. Fortunately, the football team was always practicing even in the off season so he'd never get really fat.

Hopefully.

* * *

"Axel."

"Yeees? OW FUCK!" Axel swore and dropped a toddler, who giggled and ran away. "That brat bit me!"

"Can I kill Ilene? Please? I swear I'll pay some kind of restitution, just let me strangle her." Axel blinked, looking up at the silver hair. Riku looked very pale and in a lot of pain.

"Why, what did she do?" Axel had been roped into babysitting his sister's brood, five kids in all. Riku had agreed to help, having no real idea what he was getting into. Ilene was five years old and usually not among the brattiest, although she could have her moments.

"She…" Riku took a deep breath and massaged his groin for a moment. "She barged in on me when I was in the bathroom and asked what THAT was. When I told her that it's something boys have, she YANKED on it!" Axel had to stifle a laugh as Riku glared at him. "She's fucking strong too. Then she told me I could keep it."

"Ow, harsh man!" From the look on Riku's face, he wasn't kidding about strangling her. But then, most men would feel that way after just being violated by a five year old. "Chill man. I don't think Maxime would like it if she came home to a dead child, and she's got a grip like a longshoreman. Believe me, I know." Axel rubbed his throat ruefully. His sister was rarely physically violent but she definitely had a temper, and he'd gotten shoved into a wall once. Riku sighed.

"Fine, but keep that girl away from me." Riku blinked and grabbed at an errant toddler who had just come zipping out from under the table. "And why isn't this one wearing pants?"

"He keeps taking them off!" Axel was entirely frustrated by that. Fortunately, the boy in question was completely potty trained or it would have been like a bad episode of Nanny 911. Still. Riku looked at the squirming toddler and sighed.

"I'll take care of it." To Axel's disgust, he soon had the boy back in his pants and kept them on with a few bloodthirsty although entirely unrealistic threats. Neither one of them knew if the boy would be traumatized or not, and neither of them cared. Although considering the way Max disciplined her brood, it wasn't very likely any of them had fragile psyches. Then there was a crash from the kitchen.

"Dammit!" Axel rushed to see what was going on. "NO! No cookies before supper! Shit, you busted the whole cookie jar!" Riku sighed and followed him to help clean up the mess.

This couldn't be over soon enough.

Later that night, after Axel and Riku had both surrendered the children back to the people who loved them in spite of everything, they lay together in bed. Riku was behind Axel and ran his fingers over the redhead's side, giving him a gentle kiss on the back of his neck. Axel shivered slightly at the contact.

"Hey, you keep that up and we'll have to do something that's not sleeping." He murmured tiredly, and Riku chuckled. They were both up pretty late and had school the next day. On the other hand…

"I've always found that I fall right to sleep after I do that. And you owe me for looking after the brats, so I'm topping this time." Axel turned his head and found his lips caught in a warm, intimate kiss.

"Are you?" Axel grinned, green eyes bright as Riku slid over him, straddling him as he rolled onto his back. "Sure, why not." They'd done it both ways and right now, he actually felt like letting Riku take the lead. They kissed again and Axel felt himself responding to Riku's touches, warm hands sliding over his thighs before curling around his penis, gently stroking him to hardness. "Hey, isn't your dick still sore?"

"Oh shut up. I don't want to remember that." Riku mumbled before licking around his ear, making Axel shiver in desire. Axel smirked, reaching down to stroke that part of Riku's anatomy. "If you pull I'll kill you."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Axel bit back a groan as warm fingers, well coated with lube, found his entrance and began stretching him out. They were both familiar with each other's bodies by now, and it didn't take Riku long to find that special place inside him that made him writhe in pleasure. Riku slowly thrust inside, green eyes meeting aquamarine. "Riku, I – I think I love you." Axel groaned in pleasure, feeling the silver haired man inside him and over him, thrusting in a slow, controlled rhythm.

"I love you too." Riku murmured into his ear and felt the truth of it. He'd loved Sora, but that was over now and he'd come to treasure the fire haired man under him. Axel was so vibrant, so alive, so… _Axel._ It was like the light had come back into his life, and they made love slowly that night, tenderly. But that tenderness built to a powerful climax, and Riku cried out as Axel's powerful fingers dug into his back, finding their release together.

"Mmm." Axel said drowsily, glancing at the clock as Riku slowly pulled away. "Okay, now we've GOT to sleep." Riku laughed softly, resting his head on Axel's shoulder.

"Way to kill the romance." He said teasingly and smiled at Axel's familiar, cocky grin. "Sleep Axel." The redhead closed his eyes, and soon Riku felt his breathing go even and slow with sleep. Smiling, he closed his eyes and soon followed.

There was nothing better than sleeping with someone you loved.

* * *

"Axel, do you have to do that? You know I'm not very good at this." Riku complained as his character ended up splattered across the landscape. Again. Axel glanced up from his laptop with a grin.

"Hey, how will you get better if we don't test you?" Riku sighed, going back to the respawn point and then swearing again.

"TIDUS! Goddamnit! Can you at least get him to stop camping the respawn point?" Tidus wasn't much better than Riku at these games, but he'd mastered some of the dirtiest tactics. Axel grinned and began hunting a certain blonde. "Thanks Axel – FUCK!" Riku swore as Axel shot him at the respawn point. Axel laughed. "I want to play something else."

"How about World of Warcraft?" Axel said agreeably. He'd made a brand new character to keep Riku company, and now they were leveling their way across Azeroth. Riku made a face, then sighed.

"Sure, I guess." He was right at the Barrens level, so the chat was atrocious. But he could always turn general off and avoid the Chuck Norris jokes. Then the phone rang and Riku answered it as he tried to play one handed. "Hello?"

_Riku? This is your father. I just called to ask where you're planning to go for March break._ Riku blinked, truly startled. It was highly unusual for his father to show any concern about what he was doing. But then, he'd never given him a loaded card before either.

"Oh, well, Axel and I were going to go to Hollow Bastion." There was a brief silence.

_Hollow Bastion? Why?_ Riku bit his tongue, trying to avoid getting killed and not really noticing the faint tension in his father's voice.

"We're going to WizWar Con. Axel is practically drooling at the thought." Riku wasn't quite as interested, but his father wouldn't know that. Ansem had no idea what Riku's interests were.

_Oh, I see. Well, have a good time and let me know what hotel you're staying in._ Riku blinked at that, his attention finally distracted from the game. _I do a lot of my work in Hollow Bastion, so I might drop by._

"Oh. Uh, okay. Well, I need to get back to this, talk to you later dad." Riku frowned as the phone went dead, putting it back into its cradle. "That was weird."

"What was?" Axel asked absently as he tore apart another zehvra. Riku joined him, tossing a heal onto him. He was playing a Tauren druid while Axel was playing a Tauren warrior. It had been easiest to go with the same race, so they started in the same city.

"Dad wanted to know where we'll be staying in Hollow Bastion. Apparently, he works there." It was the first time Riku had ever heard anything about where his father worked. "I don't know why he cares." Riku had an unsettling feeling that Axel's remarks about university had really focused his father's attention on him for the first time in years. But no matter what, it was too little too late. Eight years of neglect just couldn't be washed away. "Hey, is that who I think it is?" An undead warlock had just joined them, blasting a rapter with a fireball. Axel grinned.

"Yep, it's Tidus!" Tidus had turned out to be surprisingly into computer games and was more than willing to join them. "I told him we were switching over and he said he'd join us." Riku quickly checked his level and saw, to his relief, that Tidus was only two levels higher. That was nothing, they could still quest together. Axel had considered using one of his 80's to just level them quickly but Tidus had been sure that would ruin the game for them. Apparently, leveling the traditional way taught you more about how to manage your class. "Invite him, hey?"

"Oh sure." Riku quickly tossed the other boy an invite and soon they were partying through the Barrens. Riku smiled faintly as they explored the wonders of the internet.

He was really looking to WizWar con now. It would definitely be interesting.


	5. Mother

"I thought you were going as Captain Kirk." Riku remarked as he adjusted his red shirt and pinned on the Starfleet insignia. Axel was in the right color shirt for the good Captain, but the flaming red, spiky hair just wasn't working. Neither were the facial tattoos but some things just couldn't be helped.

"The wig gave me a headache and I couldn't get all my hair under it anyway. So now I'm an original character!" Axel pointed his finger at Riku's face, grinning at him. "I'm Captain Axel of the starship Asspirate! Now bend over and take it like a man, ensign!"

"Fuck you, Captain!" Riku said with a perfectly straight face and Axel burst out laughing. "Ready to go?"

"Yep, got my swag bag all ready." Axel patted his tote bag, which had plenty of room for purchases and various free items as well as containing the essentials of con life. Which were snacks, water, pencils and paper. As well as a bar of soap on a rope, which Axel claimed he was saving for the smelliest, nastiest convention goer he could find. Apparently, the plan was to use it as a lasso. Riku was afraid he might be serious. Riku picked up his own tote bag. He wasn't sure how necessary it was but he was willing to follow Axel's lead in this.

As they headed out, Riku marveled again at the city of Hollow Bastion. He hadn't been sure what he'd been expecting when they boarded the train that led out here, but it hadn't been this megatropolis of steel and stone. The city was huge and dark, filled with neon and flashing signs. The hotel they were staying in was right beside the convention centre and had been very expensive, but with ten thousand dollars to waste why not splurge? And being able to walk over was extremely convenient.

They registered at the front desk and picked up their nametags, walking into WizWar con for the first time. Riku had expected it to be huge and he wasn't at all disappointed.

"This is pretty impressive." Riku said appreciatively. "So what's on the agenda today?" He asked Axel, who was flipping through a hand written itinerary he'd set up. All the details of events were available online, so it hadn't been hard for him to decide what they should see.

"Well, I thought maybe you'd be interested in a literary panel. There's going to be Donald Reyton there." Riku blinked then grinned. That was one of his favorite authors, a man who specialized in heavy sci-fi work. "They're going to be discussing how to get published, among other things." That was a subject near and dear to Axel's heart, so this would be a good panel for both of them.

"Sounds good. When does it start?" Axel checked the time and blanched.

"Ten minutes. Come on, let's hurry!" It took them nine minutes to find it and they just managed to snag the final seats as the panel started. Riku and Axel both listened, fascinated, as the panel went over the current status of the publishing industry and several of the really nasty scams out there for unwary writers. Then they had a very interesting debate about the merits of several popular works, to the titillation of the audience. The panel was unanimous in its feeling that one particular author should be drawn and quartered.

"They're right too. Twenty books and it's still not done! It's like the neverending story." Axel muttered to Riku as he cocked his head towards him to hear better. "I stopped wasting my money after the first six, but that was still sixty dollars down the drain." Riku nodded sympathetically although he had absolutely no idea what Axel was talking about. Heroic fantasy was not to his taste.

The next place they visited was the vendors room. Riku looked around wide-eyed at all the items for sale. There was everything from books to jewelry to clothing, but all of it had either science fiction, fantasy or gaming themes. Riku spotted something very interesting and grinned wickedly, picking it up.

"Hey Axel? Check this out." Axel turned around from a knife display and started violently, almost falling back into the knives.

"Riku! What the fuck?!?" It was the most hideous, demented garden gnome he'd ever seen in his life. The little statue was grinning in a diabolical way and holding a knife. The clothing was colorful and the cheeks were very red, just to make it more surreal.

"Hey, you said I should replace the garden gnomes out front." Riku pointed out reasonably as Axel looked utterly appalled.

"PLEASE get the flamingos, I'm begging you." He thought he could take pink flamingos a lot better than garden gnomes that were actually meant to look like sadistic perverts. Riku laughed and put the gnome back.

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist. You're so cute when you're scared." Axel shot him a dark look but couldn't stay angry when Riku put an arm around his waist and cuddled up a bit. "I'll make it up to you later Captain." Axel blinked, then grinned.

"Oh, will you?" They kept looking through the vendors, just killing a bit of time before the next panel, which was on video gaming. Riku noticed Axel's gaze lingering on one piece at the jewelry booth. It was a silver belt buckle in the shape of a phoenix. Riku picked it up, checking the price. It was almost three hundred dollars, which normally would have been impossibly expensive. But now…

"Would you like it, Axel?" Axel stared at him and Riku grinned. "We have eight thousand dollars burning a hole in our pockets, remember?" They'd spent almost two grand on the hotel room for four nights, which was fine. They still had plenty to blow. Axel blinked and looked at the belt buckle again.

"I really would, if you don't mind." But then why should Riku mind? It wasn't his money. Riku used his credit card to buy it and passed it over to Axel, who stored it in his swag bag. "Thanks."

"It's nothing. If you see anything else you want, let me know." Riku vaguely wished he could have split the card and given Axel half, but there was just no way to do that. So he had to make all the purchases, which was a little annoying. But Axel wasn't a shy sort and soon Riku found himself paying for a dozen different doodads that caught the redhead's eye.

"This one's for you." Riku blinked as he found a hot pink scarf twined around his neck, and blushed.

"Axel, it's got sequins! Come on, give it to your sister or something." Riku thought that this scarf looked flamingly gay on him. It also had little gold hearts on the ends. Actually, it was more than just gay… it was gayer than gay. The ultimate in gayness. And while Riku had no problem with his sexuality he did have a problem with making it into a fashion statement. "No, hey, let's give it to Roxas." Axel's eyes widened at the thought and he quickly whipped the scarf off.

"Let's not. He'd gut us both. Hey, we could give it to Sora." Riku smiled at that thought. He knew Sora would like it. Sora wasn't worried at all about looking ridiculous in public.

"Maybe. But for now, put it away." He didn't want to be seen wearing it, and besides it clashed with his red shirt. Axel stuffed the scarf into his swag bag as Riku checked the time. "We better get going if we want to hit the next panel." They made their way out of the dealers room and Riku suddenly paused, glancing around.

"What is it?" Axel noticed his hesitation and Riku frowned. He suddenly had a creepy-crawly feeling between his shoulder blades.

"I don't know. I feel like someone's watching me." That was ridiculous though. He was in public and there were dozens of people walking around in the hallways. How could someone be watching him? Riku couldn't shake the feeling though.

"It's that red shirt. You're sensing the approaching monster that's about to bite your head off." Axel remarked sagely, and Riku laughed. "Don't worry about it. C'mon, we'll be late to the panel."

"Right." Riku couldn't help but look around though.

Something didn't feel quite right.

* * *

_010010101111001000110101010101001…he's here… 010101011010101010010101111_

_0000011101111101…Have… 10001011110101010111…to…0101010101101001010101_

_00101010111…get…000000000001110111101010101001010101010101…out…010010_

* * *

"It's reacting to something, master." Xehanort sounded concerned as Ansem looked at the experiment thoughtfully.

"No doubt it's the proximity of the initial test subject." He said calmly, although he couldn't rid himself of the faint ache he felt looking at the experiment. He'd created it in an attempt to fulfill a personal need, but it had never been able to do that. It had been a faint hope at best, but he'd had to try. "Be sure to upgrade the security measures. We can't risk it escaping." The experiment could be quite dangerous. That was simply a fact, as several regrettable 'industrial accidents' could attest to. Xehanort nodded and began speaking to Ienzo in a low voice as Ansem walked away.

There were other, more promising projects to see to. This one had failed years ago. He was unaware of Xehanort watching him as he walked away.

* * *

Riku slumped in his seat, dazed. He hadn't thought of the past in years, but suddenly things were coming back to him, things that he'd barely recalled…

"_Riku sweety, isn't this grand?" Riku laughed as warm hands picked him up, cuddling him close. He breathed in the sweet, floral scent of delicate perfume and tangled baby hands in soft silver hair. Aquamarine eyes and a beautiful smile met his gaze and he smiled back. "My little boy."_

"_Mama!" He sounded so happy back then. So very happy. Time shifted and he was on the beach with Sora. They were playing, making a sand castle but it wasn't Sora that caught his attention. It was the slender woman, sitting in the shade of a striped beach umbrella and reading a magazine. She looked up with a smile and he waved, grinning._

"_Mama! Let's swim, all three of us!" She smiled and put down her magazine, following the two laughing boys into the water. He was still so happy but the ache in his chest said that had to end. Time shifted again and Riku was getting off the school bus. It was a normal day that he could never forget. He stared as he looked at the house. His father was standing there. He loved his father but this wasn't right. He should never have been here during a week day, his mother was the one to greet him at the door._

"_Riku, there's been an accident. Your mother is in the hospital."_

"Riku, aren't you playing?" Riku blinked as a warm hand touched his shoulder. Concerned green eyes looked down at him. "Riku?"

"Axel." Riku swallowed, feeling sick. Why was his mind suddenly playing dirty tricks on him like this? He hadn't thought of his mother's death in years. "I – I don't feel well." Axel frowned, putting a hand on his forehead. Riku didn't really look good, too pale.

"You don't have a fever. Want to go back to our rooms?" For a brief moment Riku was tempted, but Axel was loving this place. He didn't want to interrupt his lovers' fun.

"No, I can go back myself." Riku stood, wincing as a headache started. "It's probably just a headache. You enjoy yourself." Axel looked torn. On one hand, he didn't want to leave Riku alone. On the other, he was dying to hear the filk contest later.

"Are you sure?" Axel asked and Riku nodded. "In that case, wear this to think of me." Riku blinked as he found a pink scarf wrapped around his neck again. With gold hearts on.

"Axel, you're a freak." It couldn't help but make him smile though, and he gave the redhead a gentle kiss on his cheek before starting back out of the convention centre, trying to ignore the building pain behind his eyes.

It was almost enough to get rid of the feeling that someone was watching him.

* * *

As the security measures were tightened a critical flaw emerged. It was there for only a split second, but for the creature being contained that was more than long enough. Alarms wailed as glass shattered and liquid went spilling across steel floors. Something pale and spidery erupted from the tube and clambered into a heating duct. It had to escape. Had to get out.

And Xehanort smiled thinly as he watched the plots, seeing the creature find every weakness. Weaknesses that it could not know had been carefully planned for just this occurrence. Wiping away his smile, he went to report the escape to Ansem. He was certain he knew what the old man would do next.

"Master, experiment 009 has escaped." He said respectfully as Ansem stared. He'd known there was a problem from the alarms but hadn't anticipated that.

"I told you to tighten the security on it! What happened?" He demanded and Xehanort seemed very ashamed.

"I'm sorry sir. When we were tightening the security there was a critical flaw. It took advantage of the problem and we weren't anticipating its problem solving abilities. It seemed to find every weak point in the system. I'm sorry sir." Xehanort actually had anticipated the creatures' abilities. In some ways, it had been an exemplary example of what its kind should be. Ansem rubbed his head, feeling tired and ill.

"We'll need to release a tracker to find it. Do we have anything available?" That was the step Xehanort had expected. He pretended to give it thought.

"Experiment 223 should be ideal. And he's of the same lineage, which might confuse the creature briefly." Ansem winced, understanding what Xehanort was carefully not saying. He didn't like using the trackers' appearance that way, but if it helped it would have to do.

"Very well. See to it Xehanort." Ansem didn't want to look at experiment 223 anymore than he wanted to look at 009. His failures were haunting, even if 223 hadn't precisely been a failure.

"Of course sir." That was precisely what he wanted. Everything was going exactly as Xehanort had expected.

* * *

Riku took two aspirin, quickly washing them down with a coke. His headache began to ease as he toyed with the ends of the scarf. Finally huffing a sigh, he stepped out onto the balcony, looking out over Hallow Bastion.

The city was beautiful. So very beautiful in such a dark way. Riku vaguely wondered if he could go to university here. He'd have to look into the tuition costs and rental charges, but there was really no reason why not. Except that his father worked here. That might be a reason why not, actually.

_Riku._ Riku started at the whisper, glancing around. But no one was there.

"Who is it?" He swallowed hard, then suddenly jumped back as a hand gripped the balcony. It was fish belly white and reminded him of a spider, long fleshless fingers gripping the steel edges. "What?!?" Riku's breath caught in his throat and aquamarine eyes widened as something pulled itself over the edge. It was wearing dark armor that vaguely reminded him of the Big Sister in the bioshock previews Axel had shown him. One eye was a baleful red, some kind of mechanical implant but most of the face was visible, and so was the other eye. A beautiful, aquamarine eye. "M-m-mother?!?" Riku felt like he might faint or be sick. He knew that face, knew that beautiful smile and those pale, pale hands were touching his face, smoothing away his hair in a familiar, tender gesture.

"Yes sweety." It was having a hard time speaking, he vaguely noticed. That whisper hadn't really been speech and its tongue seemed to be shaped wrong, or maybe it's teeth? Was this really his mother? "Don't worry honey. I'm going to make sure you're safe."

"But… mother… what…?" She surged forward, gripping his shoulders and Riku gasped as he felt a sudden weakness flow through him. The scarf slipped away, puddling on the balcony as he was lifted up in insanely strong arms. She leapt from the balcony and Riku felt the wind across his face.

_Mama?_ She seemed to hear his confused thought and glanced down at him with a smile. Her teeth were pointed, he noticed.

_Don't worry Riku. It's all going to be fine._ Oddly comforted, he let himself fall into darkness.


	6. Dahlia and Danica

Axel walked quietly into the hotel room, not wanting to disturb Riku.

He'd had a wonderful time at the convention. The filking contest had been as awesome as he'd expected. He'd had a great time listening and laughing at plenty of the songs. He'd gone to check out the art displays that would be auctioned off on the last day of the convention and had his eye on a really good picture, if he could convince Riku to put it up. That might take some work, but given the 70's décor maybe not that much. It wasn't like it could get much worse.

Axel changed in the dark and wasn't aware anything was wrong until he reached over and found the bed was empty.

"Huh?" Suddenly alert, Axel surged up, looking around. "Riku?" There was no sign of the other boy anywhere and the bed clearly hadn't been slept in. Suddenly dry mouthed, Axel turned on the lights. "Riku?" Flipping on lights as he went, Axel went to explore the rest of the hotel room. He found Riku's tote bag on the floor of the living room area. So Riku had definitely gotten home… "Riku, stop scaring me! Riku?" He checked the bathroom and the kitchenette, then finally the balcony. "…" Bending down, he picked up the bright pink scarf from the floor of the balcony. Deathly afraid, he glanced over the edge, but there was nothing. No broken body, no bloodstains, and if something had happened the place would have been police taped off. But where was Riku? "Shit." Going back inside, he picked up the phone and placed a call to Riku's cell phone. To his surprise, it was answered immediately. "Riku! What the hell man? Where are you? Why didn't you leave a note?" Axel was angrier with Riku than he could ever recall being. This kind of thing was the shit Roxas had pulled on him, and he'd expected better out of Riku. Then a strange voice answered.

_Riku is –kchk- asleep. Call ba-zzt- later._ Staring at the phone, Axel went pale. That had been a female voice but it had been strange, thick and awkward. Making a quick decision, he dialed the police.

"Hello. My name is Axel and I want to report a possible kidnapping." He only hoped he was wrong about that, but he didn't think he was. Even if Riku was the unfaithful type that voice had been very female and Riku was most certainly gay. He wasn't even the slightest bit attracted to women.

Axel just hoped the police would take it seriously.

* * *

Riku woke with a pounding headache and a desperate need for a drink. Cool yet oddly comforting hands placed a bottle against his lips, and Riku sucked urgently on it, grateful for the slightly plastic tasting but wonderfully wet water. Then he opened his eyes and stared at the being who had offered it to him.

"Mama?" His head swam and Riku wondered if he was going insane. She was still wearing that dark armor, and looking at it more closely he saw it looked like it was actually her body. Was she some kind of robot? But the smile on her face was his mother. It almost hurt to see it again, exactly the way he remembered in his dreams and the pictures he still had of her.

_No. She is dead._ Riku swallowed as he realized the woman wasn't speaking now. She was somehow throwing the words into his mind, and they were much clearer and more polished than her physical speech. She sounded just like his mother. _But I was meant to be her. Call me Dahlia._

"Dahlia." Riku blinked, remembering. He'd never called his mother by her name, of course, but he knew it had been Danica. He'd been told that meant flowers of the danes. Wait. Meant to be his mother? "Oh my god. Father. He made you?" Riku wanted to curse Ansem. He'd always known his father had never recovered from the grief of losing his mother, the one true love of his life. He'd shoved his son out of his life for being a reminder. But had he truly gone this far? Had he tried to become Frankenstein and bring the dead back to life?

_Yes._ Cold, hard arms were suddenly around him. Riku could absently feel a few trails of sticky fluid on his clothes, his skin, but he didn't care. The touch felt good and in that one eye that matched his, he could see all the love in the world. _You want to hear the story of how I came to be?_

"Please." Nothing was more important at the moment. He had to know this story. Dahlia settled him in her lap and Riku didn't find it odd, being held by a monster that resembled his mother.

_When Danica died, your father could not allow her to rest. He took her shattered body to his laboratories beneath Hollow Bastion and made imprints of her shattered mind before her body failed completely._ Dahlia's mental tone was impersonal, but Riku could catch the undertone of anger to it. _For two long years, he strived to take those imprints and rebuild his beloved Danica. Those were attempts one through eight, and they all went insane. I was attempt number nine, the final attempt. For my making, he tried something different. He knew the imprints were too fragmented, your mother's mind damaged by her injuries and impending death. _Riku swallowed, remembering that his mother had died from head injuries taken in a car crash. That would certainly have made mental scans difficult. _With one through eight, he tried to fill in the gaps using his own mind and the mental scans of various women. But it did not work. He reasoned that none were close enough, compatible enough with Danica's mind. So for his final attempt he used you._

"Me?!?" Riku blinked. "But I've never been to Hollow Bastion before!" Dahlia sighed in his mind.

_That is most untrue. You simply do not remember. You were one of his first test subjects for many things, but most were relatively benign. Mere blood and cell samples to provide raw materials for other matters. In my case, they made you think you had a fever and were in the hospital for a time. Do you remember? _Riku nodded jerkily. He did remember that. It had been a very bad illness and he had been hospitalized for two weeks. Or so he'd thought. _He scanned your mind and used it to fill in the gaps of Danica's. It worked. I was whole and did not go insane. And that was his undoing._ Riku shivered as he felt a sudden fury rising in Dahlia's mind, but she carefully controlled it, leashed it with a finesse that he could tell had been hard won. It reminded him… of his own temper…

"How was that his undoing?" Riku heard himself ask as he stared into that strange, achingly familiar face. Dahlia smiled, showing pointed teeth.

_What did you think of your father when you were twelve?_ Riku was silent, remembering the hurt, the angst, the betrayal and pain he'd suffered those first couple years after his mother's death. He'd only been a child and for a time, he'd reasoned that his father had turned away from him because he was at fault. He should have prevented his mothers' death, or he was just unlovable. But by the end of that time Sora had managed to help him and he'd realized it was his father's flaw that he'd turned away. And that had led to a bitter, harsh anger. _I see you understand. He thought he would remake me and I would love him again. But I cannot love this thing he has become. I could forgive him anything but tossing you aside. My boy, my precious boy. He hurt you and couldn't open his heart enough to care, thinking only of himself and his own pain. You deserved so much better._

"Mama." Riku whispered, feeling tears prickling at his eyes. It felt good to hear that and it hurt because he _knew_ that was what his mother would have said. He'd often thought to himself that if Danica had been alive to see them both she would have reamed his father out for what he'd done. "You… you really are my mother." But Dahlia shook her head.

_I am a machine, imprinted with an echo of a dead woman and the memories of her child. But I am very close and it is the only identity I have. I have brought you here to keep you safe. _Riku blinked, glancing around and suddenly realizing with a great uneasiness that he was in a pit. It was deep underground, he thought, made of concrete and surprisingly dry. There was a bed in a corner and a chamberpot?

"Uh, mama. I appreciate that but I'm not really in danger." And he really didn't want to live in a pit. Then he suddenly faltered as he caught the look on her face. "Am I?"

_You are. I do not know who the enemy is but I know there is one. I can sense thoughts. I can read yours like a book, since you are part of me, but for most people I just sense general shapes._ Her expression was cold and forbidding now, her red eye gleaming in the dim light shed by a lamp in the pit. _I have sensed animosity towards Ansem and the echo of your name, also with animosity. Someone means you ill. I believe they may mean to steal your birthright._

"My birthright? Mama, what are you talking about?" Riku was wondering now if he could trust her. Was she really correct about the danger or was she just insane and intending to keep him in this pit for the rest of his life? That was a frightening prospect. If Dahlia caught his thoughts, and she probably had, she politely ignored them in favor of his question.

_Your inheritance, of course. _Riku just looked at her and felt her spike of shock. _You truly do not know?_

"Would I be asking if I did?" Riku said, just a touch testily. Dahlia's mouth dropped open a bit and she seemed completely taken aback.

_He never TOLD you? What madness is this? I should kill him! I'll have to try harder next time. _Riku winced as he caught the faint edge of her thoughts about what she would do to his father if she got the chance. It was gruesome. _I can't believe… he didn't tell you anything about our families?_

"No! Mother, just tell me." Riku was getting sick of the drama and it just felt natural to call Dahlia mother, even if she really wasn't. She blinked and shook her head.

_Riku, your father is the ruler of Hollow Bastion. _Riku gave her a dirty look, knowing that was balderdash. The city was ruled by an elected council. _Indeed it is. Your father's position is largely ceremonial these days. He comes out to official inaugurations, waves at parades, that sort of thing. What is NOT ceremonial is the family fortune. _Riku had blinked, belatedly remembering Axel's comments about a solid gold Rolex. _Pth. A merest trifle. Your father owns most of the land in Hollow Bastion. Almost all of the city that is not privately owned pays him rent. And he owns a very large part of several industries._

"Uh, really?" Was all he could think of to say. How big a fortune was Dahlia talking about? He heard her sigh in his mind.

_Billions. Particularly when combined with my families fortune. I mean, Danica's. She was the only heir to Petrus Enterprises. You have likely heard of them. They run almost all the casinos in Land's End and Hollow Bastion as well as a very lively pornography business, whorehouses… that's legal in Land's End… as well as many other, more tasteful endeavors._ Riku blinked, trying to imagine his mother having anything to do with whorehouses. It just didn't work, no matter how he tried to fit it into his mind. _She did let her managers handle that. It may be legal in Land's End but your mother was raised right and found the whole thing rather embarrassing._

"I can see that." Riku said weakly, running a hand through his hair. "So you think someone means to… to kill me to get my fortune?" Just yesterday he'd have scoffed at the thought, but now he'd found out he was worth billions. Anyone could kill over that. Dahlia nodded.

_There are several people working under Ansem who are related to him. I do not know if he has made a will out in favor of any of them but it is possible and he is too wrapped up in his obsessions to consider betrayal. Riku, one thing you will inherit is his secret operations. That is why I was so aghast that he had not told you. You must know how to run them properly or I fear there will be even more reckless experimentation than there already is._ She gestured at her own body ruefully. _It has gone too far already._

"I hear you. But we're getting off course. So you think someone is going to try to kill me and maybe dad too and you're keeping me here for my protection. But for how long?" That was important. Riku wasn't going to hide in a pit for the rest of life. It was already starting to give him the creeps.

_I doubt it will be long at all. You coming here is a streak of fortune the traitor will not be able to ignore. You were very difficult to reach, you know, in Traverse Town. _Riku gave her a curious look but she didn't elaborate. _You forfeited that protection when you came here._

"What about Axel? Will he be safe?" Riku said slowly. He still wasn't sure he believed all this but he was more than halfway convinced. He couldn't believe this person who looked so much like his mother could be lying to him completely. He felt her confusion, a quick touch on his mind followed by surprise.

_Oh! A lover?_ Riku blushed as he felt her touching something that made him think of Axel, his fire bright hair, the way he grinned and the way his hands felt when they – "Mom! That is private." He felt her withdraw with a mental laugh and his heart ached. She sounded so like his mother.

_My apologies. Hm. Indeed, he may be in danger._ Riku could sense her calculating the odds and quickly coming to a decision. _I have put traps in place. You should be safe enough for the moment. I will fetch him and bring him here._

"Wait, what? Mama, no!" Riku tried to grab her leg as she climbed up out of the pit but she was too fast, too agile. Cursing, he sat back on the mattress and wondered if he'd just saved Axel or placed him in even more danger.

If Dahlia was just insane, this was probably the worse place in the world to be. Riku carefully looked over the walls of the pit, trying to think of a way out and failing. Dahlia had clearly anticipated that he might not agree with her actions and had designed this place to be an effective prison, although there was an odd little plastic balloon hanging over the edge of the pit in one spot. Riku wondered what it was for but couldn't reach it to see. Sighing, he lay down on the mattress and tried to catch a bit of sleep.

Hopefully Axel would have some idea what to do when he got here. Riku very much doubted the redhead would manage to evade Dahlia.

* * *

"Look, I'm telling you! My boyfriend is gay. He wouldn't have gone off with some woman. Yes, I'm sure he's totally gay!" Axel was beginning to get seriously hot under the collar.

Hollow Bastions' police were completely different from Traverse Towns. It was sort of weird. Traverse Town was a very nice place to live, really, yet they had some of the scariest, most law enforcing police around. You could and would get fined for littering and heaven help you if you did something really bad. The Traverse Town police would have taken his reports seriously and gotten moving on them immediately.

Hollow Bastion, on the other hand, seemed to have raised official indifference to an artform. Axel had gotten passed around like a hot potato and was finally getting a song and dance about having to wait forty-eight hours before someone could be reported missing. In a way, he could understand the difference. Traverse Town was small enough that the police there would have known Riku and known the chances of him going off with a woman were around zero. Hollow Bastion's police force couldn't know that. But it was still driving Axel to the edge.

"You know, fuck this. I'll find him myself!" Finally losing his temper, he slammed the phone down and took a deep breath, running his hands through bright red hair. How could he hold to that boast though?

"Axel." Axel suddenly blinked as he heard Riku's voice. From the balcony? He ran out onto it and looked around, but no one was there.

"Riku?" He asked uncertainly. Had his mind been playing tricks on him? Then hard arms caught him from behind. "HEY!" He caught a brief, confusing glimpse of an aquamarine eye and soft silver hair as well as… cyborg implants? Before a sickly sweet smelling cloth pressed against his face. Axel took a deep breath of it before he was doing, and it sent his mind into a dizzy spiral. _This is a bad dream. I've been playing too much Bioshock. I'm going to wake up soon and this will all just be a dream._

"It's not a dream." Hard arms lifted him up and Axel vaguely registered that the voice was female and familiar. The same voice that had answered Riku's cell phone. "Don't worry, you will see Riku soon." She leapt off the balcony in one smooth, bizarre move and Axel felt himself drifting off as she slid easily into the sewers of Hollow Bastion.

Just before he passed out entirely, Axel wondered if his disappearance would stir the lard butts at the Hollow Bastion police force into action. He hoped it would, but he rather doubted it.

Nothing in the universe was more powerful than laziness.


	7. Experiment 223

"So."

"Yeah." Riku glanced up at the top of the pit, frustrated. The edges were concrete and from the look of it, this pit had been meant to do something, but he had no idea what. And he couldn't see out of it so it was really hard to say. Axel was spread out on the bed, looking at the ceiling with a bored expression.

"It could be worse." He finally said, and Riku shot him a disbelieving look. "Seriously, it could be. She could be up there with a hose saying, 'It puts the lotion on the skin or it gets the hose again.'" There was a giggle from above and Riku knew Dahlia had heard and understood the reference. But then, his mother must have watched Silence of the Lambs before she died.

_But of course. I like him, by the way. He's very light hearted. I think he's good for you._ Riku had to smile at that. Dahlia was entirely right.

"Mother says she likes you." Axel frowned slightly at that and Riku blinked at him. "What?"

"You really think that thing is your mother?" Axel asked in a low tone, and Riku winced. He knew Dahlia could hear, because she could read his mind like an open book.

"Axel, she can read my thoughts." He muttered back, reminding the redhead that what he was saying wasn't private. Axel snorted, not caring. "And yes, she is my mother in a way. I can see her in so many of the things Dahlia does. If father weren't so… so blind, maybe he could have seen it too. But she told him what he didn't want to hear." Riku had gotten more details of Dahlia's 'failure' out of her and while she had freely admitted she was not unbiased, Riku was grimly certain her take of the situation had been correct. Ansem had considered her a failure because she hadn't loved him, but how could his mother love his father when his father was being a complete asshat? Dahlia had told him the truth about her feelings and he'd labeled her a failure because of it, not seeing the truth of his success in recreating Danica. It would have been sad if it hadn't been so horrible.

"Well, if she can read your thoughts, I want to know." Axel said, changing the subject. "How does staying in a hole in the ground help us? We're waiting for something to come to us. That's no good." Axel was a firm believer of taking the offensive. Riku frowned, finding he agreed. How was this going to benefit them in the long term?

_Peace child. I have a plan, although it depends on my survival. If I die you should try to escape back to Traverse Town._ Her mental tone was shaded with sadness. _I doubt you will make it, but you should try._

"Oh." Riku said softly, then sighed as Axel looked at him curiously. "She said that she had a plan but she needs to be alive for it. If she dies, we should try to make it back to Traverse Town. She doesn't think we would though." That was a touch grim.

"That red shirt of yours is appropriate, eh?" That surprised a laugh out of Riku and Axel grinned. "Well. Since we might die soon, want to have some fun before we do?" Riku blinked at him. Was he seriously suggesting?

"No way. I'm dirty, cold and I haven't had a bath in forty-eight hours, at least. We can cuddle though." That would be welcome. It was chilly and a bit damp in the pit. Axel wrinkled his nose.

"But Riku, you're smelly!" Riku shot him a look and Axel grinned, sitting up. "C'mere ensign. I'll keep you warm." Riku smiled, sitting down beside Axel and finding himself folded into a warm embrace. Snuggling his face against Axel's neck, he slid his arms around the other boy's chest. It was a little awkward, perhaps, but felt very good. Very comforting. Riku just hoped Dahlia was right about how long this would take. He thought nothing could be worse than staying in this pit for weeks on end. Dahlia hummed to herself sympathetically as she read that thought in her mind, but knew it wasn't really true.

There were many things worse than this. Riku just didn't have the experience to know about them, but Dahlia did. Riku and Axel were oblivious as she slipped away, into the dark passages of this forgotten, underground railway station. Something was coming. She would have to be ready to meet it.

Not very far away, Experiment 223 was prowling through the same passages. With an analytical mind and encyclopedic memory, it had quickly identified the area as the old transit system. It had been discontinued and boarded up long ago, but still existed in the bowels of the city. It knew this was a very likely place for Experiment 009 to hide. It was relatively dry and comfortable compared to the rest of the underground, and 009 would have to go to ground.

Experiment 223 was far more limited than 009 in many important ways. Despite being far more man than machine, its development had been circumscribed carefully to create the perfect tracker. It had a sense of smell better than a dog, acute senses and was fast and strong. But it was lacking personality and a strange combination of cold logic and raw emotion had arisen to fill that void. If a psychiatrist could have examined it and gotten honest answers, they would have realized the result was severe psychosis. But because of its mental programming, 223 functioned within expected parameters. The illness was concealed.

In the hot and cold wastelands that 223 called a mind, it pondered its two instructions. It had to obey them both, of course. There was no question. But it could decide how it felt about the instructions and how it wished to approach them. There was the question of how much damage it would inflict. How much pain it would extract. 223 was capable of clean kills when ordered but generally preferred messy ones, and there had been no orders about how to perform its duties this time.

Finally 223 decided that it liked these orders and would extract maximum pain from both subjects. There was, it vaguely knew, a likelihood that this would hinder its performance but it did not care. There were reasons that it was not considered a complete success. Smiling a thin, vicious smile, it leapt easily over a trap that had been laid for it. It was close now. Soon it would be able to fulfill its purpose.

_Terminate Experiment 009. Terminate Riku Valenta. Terminate any witnesses._

Nothing pleased it more than fulfilling its purpose.

* * *

_It comes. _Riku woke from a doze at the voice in his mind, and poked Axel sharply. The redhead stirred with a sleepy protest. _They would send that one. Do they think I am a fool? _Riku could feel Dahlia's anger in his mind.

"What do you mean, Dahlia?" He asked but received no answer. "Mother?"

_Sssh. I'm busy._ There was a sudden shrieking sound of metal on metal, and Riku and Axel exchanged a wide-eyed glance. Then there was the sound of laughter, and Riku blinked. That sound was oddly familiar, but why? Who could it be?

"That sounds like you." Riku stared at Axel as the redhead looked up, worried. To him the laughter sounded like Riku, but he'd never heard his lover sound like that. It was completely wild and had a jarring note that he could only define as insanity. They both heard Dahlia scream a challenge and there was another sound of metal on metal. This time her scream had a note of pain in it.

"Shit." Riku tried frantically to figure out how to get out of the pit, but it was as impossible as always. Surely his mother had some plan on how to let them out if she died! Didn't she? Suddenly a face was looking down at them from the top of the pit and Riku stared, utterly shocked.

It was himself. Not as he was now, but as he'd looked when he was fourteen or fifteen. Bright, inquisitive aquamarine eyes looked down at him and the boy tilted his head to one side in an almost bird like gesture. Then he smiled and he seemed extremely happy, eyes warm and cheerful. Riku was vaguely aware of Axel tense behind him and felt the same unease. Something wasn't right about this. This boy looked so much like himself but Riku couldn't recall ever being that unrestrained with his emotions. It just wasn't his nature.

"Hello down there." The boy said cheerfully, as if he hadn't a care in the world. "I'm here to rescue you. Want a hand up?" He offered Riku a hand and he stared at it, remembering what Dahlia had said about the danger to him. Could he trust this boy? Could he trust Dahlia? Finally reaching out, he gripped the child's hand, feeling the warm flesh under the leather glove he was wearing. The boy felt human, very much unlike Dahlia.

"Who are you?" Riku asked as the child pulled him out of the pit. He shrugged, examining Riku's face with interest.

"I don't have a name." Riku blinked at that and looked around trying to find Dahlia. She was crumpled up against the wall, her limbs twitching. "Oh, don't worry about her. She's just feeling the aftereffects of an emp burst. She didn't know I could do that, it's something new, hehe." Riku's gaze went back to the boy holding his hand, looking into aquamarine eyes. "So you would be Riku Valenta. I'm here to rescue you."

"Uh, thank you." Riku pulled his hand away and reached down to help Axel out of the pit – and suddenly grunted as a small but strong hand clamped on his arm. Glancing up sharply, he saw the boy smiling at him.

"For a given value of rescuing." Riku slammed a hand down on the boy's thumb, breaking his grip and yanking away. "Ow." A fist hit him in the side and Riku gasped, feeling a rib snap and warm hands were around his throat, lifting him up. This boy was _fast_ and _strong, _stronger than any human had a right to be. He laughed before tossing the silver hair away, and Riku's eyes crossed for a moment as his head hit the wall with a crack. Stunned, he couldn't pull away as the boy jumped up to him, gripping his shirt and lifting him up. "Actually, I'm here to kill you. It's so much fun, don't you think!" Riku was vaguely aware of Axel yelling something but there was nothing the redhead could do to help.

"Why? Who sent you?" Riku was sure that for all his neglect, his father would never wish him dead. And even if his odds of getting out of this alive were poor, he wanted to know. The boy seemed to think about it a moment.

"I might as well tell you." He smiled and Riku caught a glimmer of insanity in his eyes. "Just talking to myself, me myself and I. Lalalala… Xehanort gave me my instructions to terminate you and any witnesses. Your father just wanted 009 terminated and you brought home, haha, but he let his minions handle programming me. Such a silly he is. You know, machines like 009 have it easy. They turn off when they're not in use, but I sleep and wake up and sleep again. So tedious, I'm rather amazed I have a brain at all." The boy giggled then, and Riku suddenly tried to attack it, fist connecting with the boys jaw. But it didn't seem to faze him at all and in a blinding move he slapped Riku, sending little droplets of blood flying. "He didn't give me any instructions on how quickly I had to kill the two of you. Three actually, poor witness over there. So I can take as long as I like."

Axel, meanwhile, was desperately trying to find a way out of the pit. Then he blinked as he suddenly heard a soft popping sound and turned. The odd little plastic ball that he and Riku hadn't been able to identify had just opened, dropping a rope down to him. Axel grinned and grabbed it, climbing easily out of the pit. Glancing around, he looked for a weapon, trying to ignore Riku's pained sounds as the boy hit him a few times. He didn't think he'd be defeating it with his bare hands. Looking at Dahlia, he realized the metal woman had her head up and was looking at him. She made a small gesture and he went to her side.

"…take…" She whispered, trying to stretch out her arm. Her body didn't seem to be working well, but Axel supposed an EMP pulse would do that. Looking at her arm he saw she had a blade there, but it looked like it was detachable. Following her low voiced instructions, he removed it and looked at the black metal. "…surprise him." Dahlia didn't think either of them had any chance against the tracker if it was aware of them. But in its arrogance and carelessness, it wasn't concerning itself with anything but tormenting Riku. Axel nodded.

"Right." He whispered back and carefully snuck up on the tracker. Then he abruptly ran up to it.

"Huh?" The tracker turned its head as it heard footsteps behind but it was too late. The blade slammed in from behind and Riku stared as he saw it protruding from the boys chest, blood dripping off the tip. The boy just seemed mildly surprised as he looked down at it… but then he smiled. "Well. It's about time." Axel yanked the blade out with a spray of blood and the boy collapsed on Riku, who shoved him away.

"Riku! Are you alright?" Axel looked Riku over in concern and was relieved to see he was only bruised. The tracker had meant to draw things out as long as it could, so it had been starting slow.

"I think I lost a tooth." Riku mumbled, rubbing his jaw. "I'll survive." That was the important part. A tooth could always be replaced. "Mother?" Riku looked over, relieved to see that Dahlia was pulling herself up.

_I'm fine. That was unpleasant. If the creature had been more concentrated on killing than hurting us, we'd have been doomed._ Dahlia staggered slightly as she pulled herself to her feet, shaking her head as her systems whirred back up to full strength. _Now for my plan._ Kneeling down beside the dead body, she dipped her hand in the blood and tasted it. Riku and Axel both stared as her shape suddenly rippled and they were looking at a perfect copy of the boy. _I can maintain it for a few hours, but I needed to know who they would send after us._

"But this Xehanort is expecting us to be dead." Riku pointed out after giving Axel a quick translation.

_Ansem isn't. We'll be walking into great danger but perhaps your father had defenses and we will force the traitors' hands._ Dahlia shrugged, spreading her hands. _It's the best plan I have._

"Works for me." Axel said cheerfully as Riku repeated her words. Riku frowned at him.

"Doesn't the danger worry you?" Axel was starting to worry him a bit. He'd known the redhead was slightly crazy, but really. Axel looked thoughtful, then shook his head.

"No. To be honest, I like danger. I've known that for years, it's probably part of why Roxy and I fought so much." Then he grinned. "I never knew you would get me into a hundred times for danger than Roxas ever did! I love it." Riku laughed as Axel gave him another big, soppy kiss.

"Drool! You're horrible." Riku caught his shirt and kissed the redhead back, making his eyes widen appreciatively. "Well, lets go see if we can survive all this danger or not." He had his doubts, but as Dahlia said, this was the best chance they had.

They would just have to make the most of it.


	8. And Back to the Romance

"You feeling okay Riku?" Axel said in an undertone as Riku hissed softly. The silver hair nodded.

"I'm fine." With the adrenaline worn off, the broken rib was making itself known. But Riku had suffered that before in his football career, so he was coping fairly well. It didn't feel like there were any internal injuries. "Don't worry, Axel." Axel frowned but nodded.

Dahlia was leading them through what had turned out to be an immense, closed off underground transit system. Apparently the place they were going had an exit and entrance down in the sewers. Riku wasn't sure he wanted to know why and wondered exactly what his father had been making 'trackers' like the last one for. It was an unsettling thought and Riku quietly vowed to himself to shut this operation down when his father kicked the bucket. Which might be why this Xehanort person wanted to kill him, come to think of it. According to Dahlia Xehanort was his cousin and quite possibly the person who would inherit if he was dead. She wasn't too clear on that, since it hadn't been something that had concerned Danica when she was alive. But it seemed probable.

"Is it just me or does this remind you of Resident Evil too?" Axel muttered to Riku and he nodded as Dahlia led them into the underground research lab.

"It's not just you. Just be glad there are no red Doberman things to eat us." He advised the redhead, who grimaced.

"I'm sure that's coming." Riku winced at the thought, hoping Axel was wrong. It would be rather a kick in the nuts if he wasn't. Taking a deep breath, the silver hair squared his shoulders as Dahlia led them past a startled man with silver hair.

_Another cousin of yours. Ienzo. Not a friend, as you may have guessed._ Riku nodded to himself and wished he could question Dahlia more about his family. How many cousins did he have? _Many on both sides. But the ones on Danica's side are normal._ They stepped into the main room, and Ansem looked up with a smile as the man he was speaking to stepped back.

"Riku! I'm so glad you're safe." He really did seem glad, and it just angered Riku. Why did he care about his life when he didn't care about anything else? It seemed so meaningless to him.

"I'm glad someone is." Riku muttered, glancing over at the white haired man who could only be Xehanort. He only smiled, and Riku repressed a shiver. He didn't like the way that man was looking at him at all.

"I see Experiment 223 brought you back safely." Ansem was oblivious to Riku's comment and for a moment, the silver hair felt almost dazed with anger.

"Perhaps you would care to explain that, _father?_" Riku spat the words out. "That thing that looked like me and the copy of my MOTHER?" Dahlia stayed quiet, still in her assumed form as she watched Xehanort and kept alert. Ansem looked a little taken aback.

"Just an experiment, Riku." Ansem said soothingly. "It really had nothing to do with you, we just used your DNA for it. Don't worry about it. You'll be back in Traverse Town soon and you can go back to your normal life."

_He means he would have your memories suppressed._ Riku's eyes narrowed as he felt Dahlia's simmering resentment and his own. _It wouldn't be the first time._ Axel was glowering at his father, his hands firmly on Riku's shoulders. That was comforting. _Don't argue with him about it. Tell him about Xehanort._ Riku took a deep breath, shelving his own feelings. She was right, that could all wait for later. If there was a later.

"223 didn't bring me back. Dahlia did." Riku said flatly and Dahlia smiled as she resumed her real form. Ansem looked shocked although Xehanort certainly wasn't. "223 came to kill me, just as your friend here told him to. Do you have anything to say to that, father?" Ansem stared at him then looked at Xehanort. The other man just calmly looked back.

"B-But that's impossible! Ridiculous! Xehanort is your cousin!" Riku wasn't sure if he should sigh or shake his father. Why should that matter to a man who had never met him in his life? It certainly didn't matter to Riku. "Xehanort, what is this?"

"It's the truth." Ansem stared at him as the man calmly admitted it and Riku started looking around for traps. He could sense Dahlia's tension and knew she was drawing the same conclusion… that Xehanort had to be ready for this or he wouldn't be taking it so calmly. "Really, you should have anticipated it."

"But, but why?" Ansem just sounded bewildered and Riku felt his hopes that the man had some kind of contingency plan in place fading. "I left this place and several investments to you! Why would you feel the need to kill my son?" Riku blinked, but that actually made a kind of sense. Ansem had told him nothing at all about this place, which had made Dahlia ask how his father expected him to run it after his death. Clearly he didn't, he'd been planning to leave it all to his cousin.

"I want to expand." Xehanort said calmly and Dahlia hissed as strange figures began to enter the room. Riku swallowed as he felt her measured fear. "This isn't enough for me, for any of us. Your concerns about morality have held us back – " Dahlia acted before he could finish, leaping at him, but several of the monsters sprang to his defense. Xehanort easily walked out of the room as Dahlia fought, blood staining the floor.

"Mother!" Riku turned as he realized the way was blocked. Dahlia looked up and grabbed Ansem, throwing him towards them. Axel growled, clashing the blade he'd borrowed from her with the arm of another creature.

"I TOLD you this would be like Resident Evil!" Riku had no breath to reply as he joined the fray. Dahlia quickly cleared the door for them. She seemed to be quite a bit better a fighter than any of the other creatures.

_They were afraid to set the more powerful ones loose. They need detailed instructions or what they do can be quite unfortunate. Hurry, go! I will hold them off! _More creations were spilling out of the guts of the complex, but they would have to get past this doorway to reach them. Riku paled as he caught from her mind what Dahlia meant to do.

"Mother, you can't! You'll die!" He could see in her mind that she meant to. Dahlia just shook her head as she engaged another strange, twisted creature.

_I'm already dead Riku. I'm just the echo of a dead woman and her child. The only thing that's kept me going is you, the need to keep you safe, and I'll see it through. Go Riku, have a good life. For me. _Axel was dragging him away and Riku cast one agonized glance back before he followed. It was so hard for him to concentrate and Axel and his father had to almost drag him through the shadowed halls as he felt echoes and images from Dahlia's battle. And he felt the pain of wounds building, a growing weakness that was finally cut off with a terrible finality. Riku shook his head, unable to cry but feeling like his heart had been ripped away as they finally stumbled out into the sunshine. How long had they been fleeing, where had they gone? He wasn't even sure.

"Riku, you okay?" Axel's arms were around him and Riku found his strength was gone. He collapsed against the redhead, vaguely aware that his father was placing a call to someone. The police? The army? He wasn't sure, but somehow he doubted they would catch Xehanort or the other researchers. He was sure they'd had a plan to escape if everything else went badly.

He couldn't care about it anyway. He felt so weak. Riku coughed as Axel said something, but it was just a buzz. There was a buzzing in his ears…

Finally giving in, he let himself fall into darkness.

* * *

Things after that went a trifle oddly. While Riku was unconscious, Axel had quite a fight with Ansem about his treatment of his son. The police invaded the lab and destroyed most of the creations, but no sign was found of Xehanort and the others… or almost twenty million in assets they'd managed to embezzle. Riku was taken to the hospital where they couldn't find anything wrong with him except his strange sleep. But they thought it was best to let him awaken naturally and after about a week of care, he did. It turned out that Danica had made a will before she died, leaving most of her estates to Riku to be held in trust for him by his father until he turned eighteen. Which was only a few months away. It was all a severe shock to Riku and the wonder of the school, when an edited version of events came out, but he managed to adjust to the revelation of his wealth with some work.

Of course, there was the question of how it would affect his relationship with Axel. That was answered rather quickly.

"I've always wanted to have a sugar daddy!" Axel said happily as Riku choked. They were getting ice cream at the local parlor, and Riku had opted for double german chocolate while Axel had gone for the sea salt. "So when are you buying me a Lamborghini?"

"Never!" Riku laughed at the thought. Handing Axel the keys to a Lamborghini would be like giving a three year old free run of a candy shop. A lot of things would end up broken. The redhead just grinned. "Seriously though. Are you okay with this?" This would have to change their relationship and that was making Riku nervous. He'd almost preferred it when he'd thought they were both poor, or at least poorish and trying desperately to save up enough for university together.

"Am I okay?" Axel shook his head at what he saw as Riku's insanity. "My mom would be so proud!" At Riku's dirty look Axel smiled, reaching out to gently touch his cheek. "Seriously. You're worrying way too much. This doesn't change anything except giving us a better quality of life. I'm still going to pay for my uni, you can just pay for everything else. Okay?" Riku felt a knot loosen in his chest.

"That sounds good." Axel wouldn't want to be completely dependant on him and it would strain their relationship if he was, but this would work. With Riku handling everything else the redhead would have no trouble getting together the money for tuition. "Thanks Axel."

"For what?" Axel stole a bit of his chocolate ice cream, making the silver hair smile. "This is a dream come true. Don't mess it up by over thinking it, Riku."

"I suppose you're right." Riku murmured to himself. It would be hard though.

He just didn't feel quite the same.

* * *

Several months later.

Riku blew out a smoke ring, watching it slowly dissipate in the air. The movements of lighting a cigarette and smoking were calming, and he needed calm right now.

"You okay Riku?" Axel looked over with a frown from where he was watching TV. The new apartment they'd moved into since his Riku's eighteenth birthday was small, must smaller than the house, but cozy and full of many comforts. The downside was that the computers were in the same room as the TV and sofa. Riku looked up from his computer with a faint smile.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just getting my ego deflated by this wonderful thing we call the internet." His light tone didn't fool Axel, who eyed him worriedly as Riku shrugged. "It's nothing important." If his mood had been completely even, it wouldn't have bothered him. But then, if his mood had been even it probably wouldn't have happened in the first place.

"It's bothering you." Axel could see the signs. "What is it?" Riku sighed, rubbing his head. He didn't want to go over the whole thing again, but he doubted Axel would be giving up too easily.

"It really is nothing important. I made a stupid post, people flamed me and called me a troll, I took it down. End of story." Looking back on it, it had been a stupid post. But he'd been so happy and had wanted to share his happiness. Well, the internet had cured that condition. Axel laughed.

"See, taking it down, that's where you went wrong! You should've flamed them right back, that's what I do." Riku smiled to himself. Axel could always make him feel better.

"Yes, well, that's because you're actually a troll Ax." Riku pointed out with gentle humor as Axel grinned. "I'm not, and you know how I hate fights." Being the centre of any kind of drama was almost anathema to Riku's way of being. He simply couldn't tolerate it.

"Yeah, well, just as long as you're not taking too much prozac." There was a startled, guilty silence and Axel glanced over, seeing Riku looking away. "Shit Riku, you really need to cut down on that. You're not even prescribed them, where do you get them?" Riku blushed, looking away. Trust Axel to find the most embarrassing part. "Nevermind. But you need to stop that."

"They just… even me out. I'll be fine Axel, really." Riku didn't know how to express the real problem… that he felt strangely fragile after losing Dahlia. It was like he'd lost his mother for a second time, but he knew his father and Axel wouldn't really understand. She hadn't been in their heads. For a brief time, he'd felt the warmth and love of a mother in a way he'd never dreamed possible, something even Danica hadn't been able to give him. A mental connection had been forged and then ripped away, and it felt like he'd been left gutted. Yet it wasn't just making him depressed. His moods seem to alternate, sometimes cheerful but then any little thing could send him into a tailspin. Riku just wanted his moods to go back to how they were before, calm and serene and logical. He didn't want to felt his way, and the pills helped. Riku had tried valium, sometimes mixing it with prozac, even though he suspected that was a stupid thing to do. Axel didn't know about that. There was a brief silence and Riku twitched as he suddenly felt warm hands on his shoulders.

"Come with me, we can watch TV together." Riku was about to refuse when Axel gently massaged his tense muscles, and the silver hair abruptly changed his mind. He liked being near Axel, that was comforting too, and he needed comfort right now. Not because the internet had been mean to him but because his own reaction was just so… off.

"Sure." They cuddled up together on the couch and Riku let Axel hold him, resting his head against the redhead's chest. "Thanks Axel. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Wither and die, most likely." Riku smiled as a warm hand ran through his hair and watched the TV as some odd game show came on. It seemed to feature people trying to get through obstacle courses while the commentators made fun of them. It went a long way towards cheering him up.

If only that feeling could last.


	9. Swimming Can Be Hard

"You're not going to go see her again, are you?" Sora complained to Roxas as they were going to school, making his twin pause.

"What's your problem? You used to like Anemone." That was their cousin. Much older than them, Roxas wasn't exactly clear on their relationship but thought it was more like third cousin. Nothing very close, but she was a fun sort of person and nice to visit. They had both liked her up until the new school term started.

"She's just different this year." Sora fretted. He didn't like how he couldn't figure out why he felt this way, even to himself, but the feeling was strong. "She looks at you like… like I don't know! But it's not normal." Roxas shook his head. He thought Sora was losing his mind, with his nameless dread of their cousin.

"Don't worry about me Sora, I'll be fine." And the truth was, he needed someone to talk to, someone who was completely outside the family dynamic.

Things weren't going very well for Roxas. He'd realized, far too late, that he'd made a mistake. He'd wanted to believe he could go straight, wanted to believe he could have some kind of dream life with Olette, but it just wasn't going to happen. Being with her full time rather than surreptitiously had made him realize that girls just really didn't work for him. Sora really was bisexual and was getting happier with Kairi all the time but for Roxas, it just wasn't the same. After a day of school he could hardly remember, Roxas was sitting at his cousin's house and drinking some tea as she lounged on a divan, eating grapes. He had to grin at that. His cousin definitely had a weird style. She was a tall woman with long, sea green hair that was very fine and tangled effortlessly. She was always brushing it out. She had a pretty face, although not amazingly beautiful, and slate grey eyes. She favored sequined tops and long, flowing skirts that made her look a bit taller than she really was. She'd been married once, or so Roxas had heard, but her husband had died.

"So what can I do for you Roxas? Besides feed you up on cookies." Roxas smiled as he ate a cookie. She always had the best sugar cookies on hand.

"Well." Roxas set down his cookie, hesitating for a moment before he started to speak. "You see, I think I've made a mistake. You know how I broke up with Axel and started dating Olette?" She nodded. Everyone had heard about that, the egging of the house and mutual keyings had been the sort of thing that gets around. "I – I think I need to undo that. I really miss him. But I'm not sure how."

"Not sure how to get him away from his current love?" Roxas winced as Anemone arrowed in on the real problem. "Normally I would suggest becoming his friend, but that would be difficult in this case?"

"Yes." Roxas said glumly. Axel still wasn't giving him the time of day, and he knew it was really his own fault. "I don't know what he sees in Riku." It rankled a bit, that Axel had picked someone so completely different from him. Anemone rolled her eyes.

"Well, let me see. First he's sexy. Incredibly hot, really." Roxas glared at her as she grinned. "He's a good student, and I hear he's even going to concerts and learning to play online games for Axel. What love!" Roxas didn't think to ask how she'd heard that, but Sora would have thought it was an odd thing for an older cousin to know. "Not to mention that he's filthy rich. Hot, considerate and rich. My, you do have your work cut out for you, don't you?" Roxas winced at that. She was right.

"Well, what do you suggest?" He didn't think Anemone would really have any good suggestions. But she surprised him by sitting up smoothly, smiling.

"I might have an idea or two." Her voice lowered, cooing, and Roxas found himself almost mesmerized by the faint glow in her eyes. "Listen to mama. This is how it will be…" Sora would have been very alarmed by Roxas' odd passivity as Anemone told him what to do.

But he wasn't there and didn't see.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Axel didn't very much like Riku's suggestion. Riku frowned, feeling a bit torn himself.

"Sora swears he'll behave. He says Roxas is actually trying to act like an adult now." Riku smiled to himself. Sora had been a bit acidic on the subject.

"I'll believe that when I see it. If this doesn't work out, never again." Was Axel's opinion, and Riku nodded. He hoped it did work out though.

Sora and Roxas had invited them to go boating. Apparently, Roxas had secured a boat somewhere and while it was a little old, that was no real concern. They could all swim quite well if it had some fantastical disaster. And the lake was really beautiful in the spring so Riku had wanted to go. Partly because he just liked boating but mainly because if they could finally make peace with Roxas, things would go a lot more smoothly. After the whole experience in Hollow Bastion they had decided to just stick with the local university at Traverse Town. Neither of them was sure what they wanted to do anyway, and they could always transfer somewhere else after their first year if they wanted. But that meant they would likely be sharing classes with Roxas and Sora for at least a year, possibly longer. Axel didn't care if they were enemies forever, but Riku and Sora were actually managing to be friends again and that made things awkward.

Together, they drove down to the pier. The car was still Axel's old one, but it had been completely reupholstered and had some body work done. All in all, it was running better than it had ever run before. They were thinking of getting a new one but were divided on what type of car to get. Riku smiled as he remembered Axel holding out for a Lamborghini. That wasn't going to happen, but he had seen a picture of a Ferrari that had been incredibly tempting…

Pushing away silly thoughts of ridiculously expensive cars, Riku nodded to Sora as he got out of the car. The two brothers were waiting for them and Riku was a little surprised to see Roxas smiling in a friendly, open way. His eyes seemed a touched glazed though, and Riku almost wondered if he'd taken a prozac or two. But that didn't seem like something Roxas would do. Ecstasy, maybe.

"Hi Axel!" Roxas said cheerfully and Riku blinked, wondering if it might be prozac after all. What else could calm Mount Roxas? "I just wanted to say. I really am sorry for being an ass to you." Roxas sounded genuinely remorseful and Riku felt a bit warmer to him. Axel looked a touch weirded out, but nodded.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have egged your house." Axel offered as Sora smiled in relief, glad to see they both seemed sincere in trying to make amends. "So where is this boat of yours?"

"Right over here." Sora showed them the boat and Riku snorted at the sight of it.

"That's a rowboat, Sora." It was a very old, dingy little row boat to boot. Riku was sure it would smell like old fish. "And it looks rickety as hell. How much does it leak?" He glanced into it suspiciously but it looked dry enough. Sora shrugged.

"It doesn't seem to leak at all. And we can use it to go see the island." Riku glanced at the island thoughtfully. That was an appealing thought; the island had been a mysterious promised land when he was a child. Of course, it wasn't that special as an adult but there were still plenty of beautiful sights to be seen.

"Sounds good." Axel stepped easily into the rowboat and grabbed one of the oars as Riku shrugged, then stepped in. He took the other oar before Roxas or Sora could grab at, and soon the two of them were learning how to row in tandem. It took a few false starts but then they got the hang of it, moving them out through the water in a swift, easy motion. "Hey, this is kind of fun." Axel sounded surprised and Riku smiled to himself. That was how Axel had reacted when he'd tried his first nature hike.

"Maybe we could get a boat someday." Riku murmured softly. "Have you ever fished, Axel?" The redhead shook his head.

"Nah, always sounded super boring. Waiting for fish to come to you? Why not just watch paint dry?" Riku laughed and Sora spoke up.

"You're forgetting the good part. The beer!" Axel tilted his head at the brunette as Sora smiled. "You always drink beer while you fish, it's the tradition."

"Oh really? That sounds a bit more interesting." Riku lifted his head, seeing the lush greenery of the island coming closer. Then he glanced down and blinked. Roxas had his eyes closed and was leaning close to him. Was the boy sick? Maybe that was why he was being so nice to Axel, although he hoped that wasn't it. It would really be a bit of a letdown if –

"Woah!" Axel suddenly said as the rowboat made a strange, grating sound and shuddered. That was the only warning they had before the boards parted. Sora yelped in shock as he and Roxas were both dumped in the water. Axel struggled for his balance for a moment but the boat was just coming _apart, _Riku stared, feeling curiously disconnected as he wondered what could have caused this.

Then abruptly, his attention was focused as something dragged him underwater. Thrashing, Riku tried to swim for the surface but there was something around his ankle, and whatever it was, it was heading for the bottom of the lake. Luckily for him, he'd taken a deep breath just as the boat had broken but his ears popped as whatever it was dragged him swiftly to the bottom. Riku blessed the prozac he'd been abusing as he struggled to figure out what was holding him down by feel. He was still panicking, but slowly. His fingers found a chain and he figured out after a second he didn't really have that it was a slip knot. He pulled his foot free and kicked towards the surface.

"Riku?" Axel hadn't been worried at all about the silver hair at all when they went into the water. Riku was an excellent swimmer and Roxas seemed to be struggling. But Sora had Roxas now and Axel couldn't see Riku anywhere. "Riku!" Axel took a deep breath and kicked off his shoes, diving into the water. He searched frantically but the water was dim, it was so hard to see – there! Axel suddenly spotted Riku, weak and struggling to swim. He swam strongly to him and grabbed his arm, dragging the other boy to the surface. Riku coughed and drew deep, rasping breaths as the broke the surface, coughing up water he had swallowed.

"Sh-shit." Riku felt sickened and weak. He'd come so close to dying. It was closer even than when they'd dealt with Experiment 223. "Axel, thank you." If Axel hadn't grabbed him… he'd been close to passing out. He didn't think he would have made it.

"It's nothing… Riku, what happened? You can swim!" Axel didn't understand what had kept Riku from swimming with them. Riku shook his head.

"There was… a chain. I must have stepped into it." Although he couldn't remember seeing a chain like that when he entered the boat. And what had it been hooked to that had dragged him down like that? Whatever it was, it must have been there and he'd missed it. Clinging to Axel, they both managed to swim to shore where Sora was helping a dazed Roxas onto the land. "What's… wrong with Roxas?" Riku asked, coughing some more. The blond seemed completely out of it.

"I think he hit his head on something." There was a bit of blood on Roxas hair and Sora was looking at it. It didn't look serious though.

"Ah." Riku was feeling stronger and managed to swim by himself, and they made it to shore easily. "Let's not take up fishing after all. Okay?" Axel grinned.

"Works for me. I don't think the water likes you." Riku smiled and shook his head. "Want to go get some coffee, then head for home? We can watch old movies." Axel raised his voice, glancing at Sora and the brunette nodded.

"That sounds good. Roxas isn't really hurt." Roxas seemed to be coming back to himself too, judging from the way he smacked Sora's hands away with an annoyed mutter.

"There's a starbucks a couple blocks away." Riku offered and soon they were all in the car again, getting the seats soaking wet but not caring. They went through the starbucks drive thru, and Riku found the hot coffee was very soothing on his sore throat. Soon they were at his and Axel's apartment, and he lent Sora and Roxas some of his clothes as the rest was put through the drier. To pass the time, they watched The Little Mermaid and then Transformers: The Movie. It was all very friendly and Riku smiled as he saw Axel and Roxas relaxing enough to joke together. He wasn't worried about losing Axel to the blonde. He was secure in Axel's love.

It was a good feeling.

* * *

"That didn't go very well." Anemone observed as Roxas ate another sugar cookie. The blonde was looking more glazed than ever, but that suited her quite well. "Most people would have just panicked and thrashed against the chain. Remarkable that he managed to get it off." A slip knot was a simple thing but in the midst of drowning, very few people would think of that. "We'll have to try something different now. Roxas, listen to me carefully. You need to become Axel's friend again, and take your time about it."

"Yes Anemone." Roxas sounded half-asleep and his cousin smiled as she explained this new plan to him.

She had many plans, and she would keep trying until one of them bore fruit. She was determined to at last be free.


End file.
